Falling Up
by Piper-Knight
Summary: Sakura Haruno's favorite Anime, Naruto, came to life before her eyes. The characters became real to her, and she became something to special to them. But, not everything is perfect, and ghosts from the past could be more haunting then before. SakuxMulti HIATUS.
1. Ache

**Piper: I've been thinking about this idea for a while now and decided to put it into action.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

**Pairings: SakuraxMulti (not just the Akatsuki)**

**WARNINGS: Violence, Blood, Gore(?), Cursing, Suicidal Thoughts, etc.**

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><p><span>Chapter 1 - Ache<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

There was a terrible throbbing in my cheek, and I could feel it swelling. I grit my teeth in anger, and turned towards my Principle. Her royal blue eyes shined with a dark intent in their depths, and I found myself wanting to claw the twisted smirk off her face. She didn't hit the other children, but then again, the other children had parents. They had protection, an invisible veil that kept them safe from her wrath. If she touched one of them, she would be punished, but she could smack me around all she wanted and no one would find out.

"Never speak out to me ever again, do you understand, you filthy stray?" She asked calmly, her voice coated to be a sugar sweet tone. The melody of it was sickening, for I could never stand the taste of sweet, at least not on people like her.

I looked at the ground, nursing my sore cheek, and spat out, "I bet your husband hates living with a bitch like you."

All the air was forced out of my lungs as her heeled foot wailed me in the center of my stomach, and I felt tears of pain spring forth. I fell to my knees in a heap, clutching my stomach in desperation for the pain to leave. My soft pink, choppy cut hair was covering most of my face, hiding the few tears that leaked from the corners of my eyes. The salty liquid stung against my raw cheek, the injury seeming so much more painful now that pain was consuming me.

"Leave now, _stray_, and don't let me catch you getting into trouble anymore," She said apathetically, cleaning imaginary dirt from underneath her bright red claws. I stood slowly, and when I was fully up, she spat at my feet, and I quickly turned to leave before I got myself in more trouble. There was too much anger and pain burning in my stomach to last another minute with her.

The secretary in the front office always assumed that I left in tears because I was upset that I was getting in trouble, which wasn't the case. The secretary was just oblivious to what was happening to me each time I got sent to the office. It was natural for a high schooler my age to have a nasty teacher or two, a teacher that would send you to the office for the stupidest of reasons. Our Principle, Mrs. Kane, was a nasty woman. She wasn't just nasty to me, she was nasty and rude to all the other children of the school. I was just the only one she had the ability to act her anger upon.

Our school of Greenevale High, located in the state of Oregon, was well know for its high rates of discipline. We had one of the largest records for Detentions, In-School-Suspension(ISS), and Out-of-School-Suspension(OSS) in our area. It wasn't really due to a bunch of bad behaving children, more so towards the fact that the teachers and Principle handed out disciplinary slips everyday like candy on Halloween.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure even some of the meanest teachers here would've tried to help me, if they had known the Principle of our school hit me every time I even breathed funny around her.

I quickly made my way to my locker, and pulled the handle. My locker had a broken combination, and it opened without even having to have the dial turned. I attempted to hide this fact when the hallway was full, however, so that people wouldn't think they had the right to snoop and steal. The last thing I wanted was for one of the few precious things I had left to be taken from me, even though I didn't bring much to school as it is.

Grabbing my backpack, I shoved all of the books I needed inside along with my folder, and shut the door. It was a habit of mine to walk as far from the office door as possible, zigzagging to the other side of the hall. I wrenched the front doors to the school open, and a cool breeze gentle blew into my beaten body. The air felt nice and cool against my cheek, and I stood still from a moment at the soothing feeling that was washing over me. The wind brought a certain smell, a familiar smell that I loved, yet feared.

Rain.

Dark clouds rolled in from the south, and my eyes snapped wide opened when I heard distant thunder. I sprang forward, clutching the handles of my book bag as I took off in a dead run. Fear and the lack of oxygen made my heart (now resident of my throat) pound frantically. I ran down the streets of Greenevale, the town I lived in, the dark clouds gaining speed.

Every low rumble I heard from miles away, made my bruised stomach clench in agonizing fear. I knew I looked strange to any of those out and about outside, running for my life when there was seemingly nothing after me. Those people, however, didn't know how bad this fear of mine was, how badly it hurt the insides of my mind when it struck.

I made the mistake of looking over my shoulder, and just as I did so the sky light up with the brilliant flash of crackling lightning. It was so far away, but the bright flash and the loud thunder was enough to keep me running, my thoughts hell bent on getting to safety before the rain and lightning reached me.

Finally, I turned onto a shady looking neighborhood street. A couple of suspicious looking men standing on the porch of one house followed me with their eyes, but made no move to go after me as I ran towards the last house on the right. This house wasn't the nicest of homes, but it was all I had. The people of this neighborhood knew that I lived there, and that was that. None tried to help me, and none tried to figure out why I lived by myself.

I opened the door to my home, and practically slammed the door behind me. I locked it, and then hooked the chain lock. Just as I did so, I heard rain begin to pelt the roof top of my house, and the faint sound of it hitting the windows from the other rooms. I ran for my living room, straight for the glass back door. I took hold of the curtains and forced them shut just as another boom of thunder growled above my house.

Fighting back tears of fear, I threw my book bag onto the ground and hid behind my couch. I plugged my ears, and began to hum, trying to block out the noise of thunder around me. I wished that my mp3 player wasn't in my room on the other side of the house, because I was much to afraid to move. My muscles were cramped up in fear. I was shaking terribly, and I tried to rock myself into a feeling of safety as the rumbling thunder boomed around me.

For almost a full hour, I cried behind the couch as the sky angrily growled above my home. My face was sticky and wet from tears, and I couldn't even get myself to stop crying long enough to try and hum the noise away. I shook so bad that I could be considered a leaf on a branch in the cold wind.

When the thunder stopped, I opened my eyes. Dull light was spilling in from the cracks between my curtains, and the only noise I could hear were my uncontrollable sniffles. I shakily stood, my bruise stomach aching with an intense pain. I had been curled into a ball for to long, and the spot were Mrs. Kane had kicked me felt like an giant, angry soft-ball sized bee had stung me in the stomach.

I moved to the back door, and threw open the curtains to let the light in. My small backyard was glistening from the rain, and the skies over head were a dull gray. I was happy that the rain was going away, because it meant that I wouldn't have to walk around in it and give myself a heart attack. I had to go to work tonight, and a heart attack before work was the last thing I wanted.

Sighing to myself, I knew that I would have to get over my irrational fear of thunder and lightning someday, but I also knew that it wouldn't be any time soon. I was so deathly afraid of them, so scared of the loud noise combined with the bright flashes.

I shook my head and made my way to the kitchen. I picked the first aid kit I had off the wall, and dug around in my junk drawer for the mirror I kept in it. Once I had it fished out, I sat at the kitchen table tended to the bruise on my cheek and stomach. I carefully nursed my cheek, before pulling out some cover up from within my first-aid kit.

Being the kind of person I was, I didn't normally use make-up. When I was going to work I would put on a little mascara and eye-liner, but that was it. The only reason I had the cover up was so that if I got a bruise that was noticeable, I could quickly make the darkness of it go away. It wasn't that my boss would care, but it would keep meddling costumers from asking to many questions.

Once my wounds were taken care of and the first-aid kit was put back up on the wall, I started on my homework while I watched the television. While channel surfing, I saw that my favorite anime was on. A smile met my lips, and I turned it on quickly.

It was the show "Naruto". Most kids at my school didn't like things like that, just labeling it off as a little kid's cartoon. I couldn't help myself, though, and I found myself drawn into the story of it. I tried to keep up with every episode, but it was hard with my tight schedule of school, work, and home-work. Also, I didn't have enough funds to really buy anything to keep me updated. I loved it so much, that I dreamed about it sometimes. Even though the Naruto world had hardships just like this one, I couldn't help but prefer that one over this one. One weekends that I wasn't working, however, I would go to the local library and start looking up everything on the internet, due to my lack of a computer at home.

I was an information nerd, I would admit it, and everything I read about it almost fascinated me more then the actual show. I had a few volumes of the Manga from the local book store at the Greenevale mall, but I couldn't buy a lot of it. Most of my money went towards keeping my fridge stocked and paying the bills on my house.

I continued looking at the television screen, entranced, and I knew then that I wasn't going to be getting any homework done at that moment.

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><p>"Haruno! Table 7 needs their orders taken!" My boss hissed in my direction, and I quickly nodded.<p>

I moved to pass him, when his large hand grabbed onto my arm, growling at me to keep my head out of the sky and into work. Tears clouded my eyes slightly at the scolding, along with some building anger in the pit of my stomach, and I quickly moved away from him and into the front part of the diner. I knew it was my fault, but I couldn't help it. It was something I always did after I watched Naruto on television. I would space out, and imagine every scene, but adding myself into the mix as a character.

Imagination was beautiful, but it was also very cruel. It was painful to know that I was stuck here, when I only wanted to be some where else instead.

"Hello, my name is Sakura, may I ask what you would like to drink?" I chirped at the inhabitants of Table 7, plastering a fake smile onto my face.

They looked at each other, seeming a bit put off at my name. I lived in the United States, but my name was purely Japanese. It was hard for some people to pronounce it correctly, and it always made them stare at me even more. The reason being, because not only was my name extremely foreign, but my hair was a soft shade of petal pink. I stopped trying to explain to people that I didn't dye my hair, that it came naturally, because they all just called me a liar.

I filled out their orders, and quickly made my way towards the back. I got their drinks ready and onto a platter, and came out with it balanced on my palms. I gave each of them their drinks, and couldn't help the jealousy that flashed through me when the little girl started to blow bubbles in her soda, making her parents smile at her and laugh.

I couldn't remember my parents, but I had always wanted to have some. I watched other kids and their parents all my life, and even now, just turned fifteen, I couldn't help but feel jealous when I saw them. I wanted a mother and father, ones that would take care of me, and help me through the hard times I'm going through.

"Haruno! For the last time, stop day dreaming!" My boss yelled once more, this time in front of the whole diner.

My heart felt like it had been constricted by a snake, the blood it pumped being squeezed forcefully, as embarrassment colored my cheeks. I hid my tears as I quickly sprang back into work, and tried to avoid the wrath of my boss the rest of the night so that I wouldn't get any money docked off of my pay check, if I hadn't done that already. I needed to pay the bills this week, and if I got money docked off this pay check then I wouldn't be able to buy groceries this week.

If so, then at least I knew that I had just enough to get by.

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><p>I collapsed against the couch, still in my work uniform. I was dead tired, and every inch of me ached. The diner work outfit for women required that I wear heals, which wasn't something I was good at or liked doing. It made men stare at my legs, since the bottoms of the uniform just a black skirt that went to the knees. I didn't like being looked at like I was just a piece of meat they could order right off the diner menu, and if they did I'm sure my boss would gladly give me to them with the right kind of pay. The top was the best part of the outfit, since it was a simple black, long sleeved shirt. It had a 'v' neck, but it didn't go down far enough to show anything.<p>

Grasping the remote in my tired hands, I turned the television back on. Naruto was playing once more, making me smile. I slowly curled up on the couch, watching happily, when a sudden grumble above made the smile fall from my lips.

I looked towards the back door, and I could see a flash of lightning streak down from the heavens. My heart rate began to accelerate, and I rushed to close the curtains. I threw myself in front of the TV, and turned up the sound. I leaned against the screen, closing my eyes as the booms began to get louder. I clutched the carpet beneath me, and prayed that the satellite didn't go out. The voices and music of my favorite TV show was the only thing keeping me sane.

The wind outside began to pick up furiously, making the glass door rattle. Tears fell from my closed lids, and I stopped breathing for a few seconds. A storm stirred in the skies above, and the rain began to fall once more, and I realized how cruel life was.

I loved the rain, I loved the rain so much. The smell was crisp and fresh, and the feel of it falling onto my skin was like heaven. The thing was, was that I was terrified of thunder and lightning. It was like loving roses. The sweet petals, the colors a lush red, begging to be touched and adored. Then there was the thorns, pricking anyone they could. The rain was the beautiful petals, and the thunder-lightning combination were the thorns that made it untouchable.

The rain was heavy against the windows, and suddenly there was a loud crack of thunder. It was so loud, so close to my home, that the whole house shook violently. The windows rattled, and the ground shook. A scream ripped from throat, and sobs choked up afterwards. I fell backwards from the television, into a ball. I shook and cowered before the mighty storm, wishing for the weather to go away.

Suddenly, the noise of the television stopped. My eyes snapped open in fear, and I looked at the blank screen of my television.

"No, no, no, no, no, please!" I pleaded, wishing for something to help distract me from the storm.

I found that distraction.

As my frantic eyes looked over my television screen, I noticed that every time the house shook from a boom of thunder, so did the screen. It rippled almost, like water. The ripples would expand to the other edges of the television, and disappear. The blackness of the screen would rock and wave, and it caught my attention.

Sniffling slightly, I reached my hand towards the television.

My pale fingers skimmed the surface, and my green eyes widened in shock. It was like touching water, I noticed, as I skimmed my fingers along the surface of the television. My fingers sank into the darkness, but I didn't have enough courage to reach any deeper. I sat there for a few moments, entranced and almost completely forgetting about the violent storm beating around and above.

Suddenly, a pale arm shot out from the other side of the television, it fingers touching my pink locks in its blind grab.

I screamed loudly, scooting backwards as fast as I could. My back painfully collided with the coffee table, the corner poking me in the middle of my back. I ignored it, to busy staring, horrified, at the hand sticking out of my television. It bent down, and the fingers of its hand curled around the edges of my television stand. It gave a few test pulls, before another hand came out of the surface of my television. It curled its fingers around the edge of the stand, just like the other.

Mouth open wide in a silent scream, I watched, terrified, as the hands began to pull. The television rippled violently as something began to come through from the other side. It formed a face, and a head with long blonde hair suddenly emerged from the black. The person slowly looked up, a single showing blue eye looking up at me from their position, half way inside my television and half way out. His face was pale and he was quite attractive, but if looked at from far off he could easily be mistaken for a girl. He seemed oddly familiar, and I blinked once at the thought.

Suddenly, the familiar man grinned at me, and spoke in a deep tone, "You're cute, yeah."

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><p><strong>Piper: Yay, it's done! I'm so excited!<strong>

**Oh, and for those who don't like the fact that they're all in our world currently, don't worry. There will most definately be Naruto world time.**

***Oh, and just so you know, I made up the town. I jsut wanted to tell anyone who wondered. If there is actually a place called Greenevale, I'd be surprised, lol.**

**Please please please review! I am so pumped to hear what you got to say!**


	2. Snag

**Piper: Awww... I want to thank all of you who reviewed so much! I love the feed back, it makes me smile!**

**NOTICE: I just wanted to point out that some things are going to be different then the Anime/Manga.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p><span>Chapter 2 - Snag<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

I blinked at his words. I didn't know how to reply to that, and if I did I doubted that I would be able to get it out of my paralyzed voice box. So, I just kept quiet and watched with terrified eyes as he began to pull himself the rest of the way out of my television. His upper torso was revealed as he used the television stand to pull, and I took notice of his attire. He was dressed up in a black cloak, one that was decorated with strange red clouds that had a white trim. I knew then, who he was, and I scooted to the side so that the coffee table was no longer in the way of my back-up.

He wasn't paying much attention to me now that he was focused on getting out of the television, his face towards the carpet. His hips and lower body began to pull through, and just as he was about to pull his legs out of the television, he fell face first into my carpet as another body suddenly tackled him from within the black. They both fell out of the television in an ungraceful heap, and they sat like that for a few moments while the new body began to let out shouts of joy.

"Tobi thought that you had gotten stuck in the portal, Deidara-senpai! Tobi's so glad he could get you unstuck!" The man wailed, hugging the waist of the blonde extremely tight.

The blonde's body shook once. I suspected from suppressed anger, and I slowly began to inch towards the back of the couch in fear of him blowing up, whether it be literally or figuratively. It was a terrible hiding place, I knew, but it was where I always felt safest aside from being under my bed. I don't know why, it was a childish thing for someone my age to do, but I couldn't help it. When my body was unable to get orders from my brain, when it was frozen in fear, it went on auto-pilot and that is where I would find myself.

"Tobi! You _idiot_! Get off of me, yeah!" Deidara suddenly yelled, lifting his face from the carpet. His blonde hair was all over the place, and his ponytail was now slightly askew from its normal position.

Tobi whined loudly, and continued to hug the blonde tightly. When it seemed apparent that the orange-masked man wasn't going to let go, Deidara swung out his foot at a terrifying speed. It slammed between Tobi's legs, and said person let out an almost girly wail. He clutched his abused man-parts, and fell onto the floor in pain.

Deidara pulled himself off the floor just as I began to crawl around the corner of the couch. I saw the television begin to violently ripple once more, the beginning of a hand poking through, and curiosity got the better of my simple mind. I hid behind the couch with my head peaking around the corner, watching with slightly fearful eyes as another person began to pull themselves out. Their fingers were curled around around the bottom of the television stand like Deidara's had been moments before, and suddenly a head full of red hair began to show.

_'Sasori!'_ My nerd brain shouted, and my head began to hurt. It was impossible that these people were coming out of my television. These made up characters weren't supposed to exist, let alone scare young girls by shoving themselves through televisions. Their world was supposed to be fake, and only become real whenever I got trapped in my thoughts. This couldn't be happening.

Deidara helped pull Sasori out the rest of the way, and when the two began to look around I ducked behind the couch. Fear began to shake my entire being, and I bit my knuckles to hold back shaky breaths. I don't know why I was so afraid. Anyone other fan would be cheering with excitement, and would probably start helping the rest through the television despite the fact that these people could kill with just their pinkie finger. Or, in Deidara's case, just the palms of his hands.

"Hey, yeah, where'd that girl go?" Deidara suddenly mused, and my heart stopped beating for a few seconds.

"What girl, Deidara-senpai?" Tobi shouted loudly, making me jump at the sudden loud noise.

There was a sound of something being hit, and Tobi starting whining. I assumed that Deidara had smacked him upside the head, and fought back the little giggle that crawled up my throat. It felt odd to have laughter in my throat, when tears of fear were leaking from the corners of my eyes. Laughing was something I didn't do often, and if I did it was short-lived.

I looked towards the hallway, and wondered if I would be able to get to the front door. I sucked a lung full of air in, and began to silently crawl to the other side of the couch with extreme care.

The air of the room suddenly seemed to become much more occupied, almost cramped, and I knew that more of them were filing in through my television. I could hear their feet hit the carpet, and I began to panic. Extremely dangerous criminals were in my house. It didn't matter that they were from the world I was always dreaming about, if they found me and I proved to be useless I would die.

I faltered at the thought of my death. It was a bodies natural defense to try and survive, but what if I was to tired to keep up with it. What if I didn't want to live anymore? What if I was finally tired of trying each day, trying to meet weeks end, and trying to keep my self healthily fed with the tight budget I was one. I could hardly afford to pay for my school books each time the new year start, and I paid for what? To get the shit beat out of me by my principle, and to be a complete outcast among the other children.

Shaking my head, I shooed the thoughts away. It wasn't my time to die, and I was ashamed of myself for having these thoughts.

"Where the fuck are we?" A voice suddenly cursed, and I flinched slightly.

"I don't know, yeah, but I saw a girl earlier," Deidara pointed out to the others.

I paled slightly, and decided that there was no time better than now to start running for my life. I slowly moved from my crawling form, crouching slightly so that I was still covered by the back of the couch, and prepared myself to run as fast as I could. Taking a silent breath in through my nose, I bolted.

My bare feet thudded against the carpet, and I trained my eyes on the door. My aching legs pushed hard, and I could feel the muscles pulling inside my legs at the strain. Just as I thought that I might actually make it outside, I collided with a chest. I gasped loudly as I fell backwards, and two hands clasped my shoulder's harshly before I could fall all of the way down.

I shook, terrified, and looked up slowly. My eyes almost clashed with this character's, but when I caught sight of his black bangs I shut my eyes quickly before our eyes could meet. I looked away from him, not wanting to look at what I knew what there. A spinning sharingan, devoid of any emotion, yet threatening at the same time.

He used his grasp on my shoulders to turn me around, and then he started pushing me back towards the living room. I kept my eyes shut, but I obediently let him lead me to living room without protest. I did not want to know the consequences for disobeying an Akatsuki member, let alone Itachi Uchiha.

"Open your eyes," A deep, powerful voice commanded me.

A shiver of pure fear rolled through my body, and I carefully cracked open one eye. I stared into captivating eyes, and felt my lungs stop receiving air. The eyes were a shade of dark silver-purple eyes, and there were rings all the way the edges to the pupil. They made my organs freeze, and it felt like I was dead for a few seconds in time.

My own eyes widened with fear, as I stared right into the face of the Akatsuki leader. He looked just like he did online, from all of the fan art and pictures. He had a head full of spiky orange hair, almost unnaturally sticking out. He was extremely pale, and he was much taller then my 5"4 stature. True to the Anime and Manga, his face and ears were pierced multiple times. The three square studs he had on each side of the bride of nose looked at bit painful as I gaze up at them, and felt the urge to rub my own nose.

"What is your name?" He asked, his ringed eyes boring down upon me.

"S-Sakura. Sakura Haruno," I blurted, trying to look away from his eyes.

He took hold of my face, keeping me still. I tried to ignore the pain radiating from the bruise on my cheek, and watched as slight confusion colored his face. He pulled back his pale hand, rubbing his fingers together. I noticed that he had some of my cover up stuck to the skin of his fingers, and felt a haunting chill go through me.

Looking back up, he narrow his eyes and he lightly swiped his hand across my cheek. I could feel the light layer of cover-up be smeared and wiped away at the contact, and let my eyes fall to the floor. The light swipe had made the bruise ache slightly, tender to the touch. I knew that the bruise was mostly visible now, and for some reason I just wanted to keep hiding it. It was an ugly blemish on my face, not that my face looked good in the first place. I could see no beauty in me when I looked in a mirror, so having a dark colored mark on my face just made more sour about it.

"Hm," He mused slightly, and I looked up at him without moving my head.

"Where are we?" He questioned me, looking at the make-up staining his skin.

It almost matched his skin color, since I was so pale my-self. I was almost the color of snow, and I found it difficult to get color to my skin. My boss always suggested I get a tan during the summer time, to make me seem more attractive and that the male customers would want to come back. I tried, but nothing I did worked. I could only burn, and I refused to spray tan. My boss thought it was insubordination to his orders, but after a while of working there he gave up one trying to change my skin color.

"Greenevale, Oregon," I whispered slightly, feeling all of their eyes on me.

I wanted to start crying again, but I refused to let them see every ounce of fear in me. My eyes could be read like an open book, I knew that, so that meant that they knew I was scared. That, however, didn't stop me from not wanting to shed my tears in front of them. To be honest, though, I didn't see them as threatening as the thunder and lightning. In fact, they were more of a distraction fear. Throughout this whole escapade the storm over head had been brewing, and lightning flashes were lighting up the darkness beyond my curtained windows. For that small amount of time I had forgotten about the storm, but since this thought had crossed my mind I was becoming slightly frightened of the storm overhead.

Pein raised an eyebrow, and demanded, "Which country is that in?"

I flinched at the boom of his voice, and spoke softly, "The United States of America?"

His eye brow raised at the tone of my statement, and I knew it had come off as more a question. I held my breath slightly, watching as the gears in his head seemed to turn in thought. Slowly, he reached inside of his cloak, and fished around from something in one of the inner pockets. Chilly fear rolled through my bones, and when he began to pull his hand out I flinched violently, thinking that he was about to his me with something. I cracked open an eye after a few seconds of waiting for an impact, only to see him looking at me with an odd expression. There was a scroll in his hands, and I relaxed slightly in Itachi's hold.

_'Oh...'_

Brushing off my odd reaction, he unrolled the scroll and began to gaze over its contents. After a few moments of his reading a deep frown darkened his features, and he slowly turned towards the rest of the Akatsuki, who were waiting silently for his word. He read over the scroll for almost another minute, before he rolled it up once more and tucked it away inside his Akatsuki cloak.

"The jutsu has failed, we will preform it once more to get it to take us back home," Pein told them, his voice the loud, commanding voice of a leader.

The members nodded, and began to straighten themselves up. The few that had sat apon my furniture stood up and stretched, and as I looked around I clashed gazes with Deidara. He smirked at me slightly, and I fought down a blush. I looked away from him, and continued to exam the room until my eyes fell upon Pein once more.

He looked back towards me, his ringed eyes piercing my soul with their intensity, and commanded, "You will be coming with us, girl."

My eyes opened wide in shock, and I couldn't breath. I was getting kidnapped. I was getting kidnapped by fictional characters who came through my television in the middle of a thunderstorm. I watched as they started to move my furniture away from the center of the room and towards the walls, without my consent. That didn't both me so much, furniture could be pushed back to there rightful places. What bothered me was when Pein started drawing kanji on my white carpet with some kind of black substance. Those stains would never come out without me spending quite a pretty penny. A pretty penny I didn't have.

Itachi pushed me over to the center of Pein's drawings, and let go. Frozen, I watched as the members began to form a circle around me just as Pein finished up his drawings. He filled in his space of the circle between Sasori and Hidan, and the members began to do hand signs in perfect harmony. Their movements were so fast, my eyes could hardly catch a solid hand sign.

Almost a minute into their hands signs, the air started to get heavier. It was almost like their was a sudden pressure in the room, and it felt like I was suffocating. My breaths began to become panicked, and I looked around at the different members to see their reactions. Most of them were had there eyes closed in concentration, while some were blankly looking ahead of them as they preformed.

The lighting in the room seemed to get duller. I didn't know if it was my eyes themselves, or if the room was really getting this dull. It was like looking through a mirror that had foggy edges, clearest in the center and even then it was hard to see.

Suddenly, there was a loud _CRACK_ that sounded through the air and a flash of blinding white light. The light surrounded me, and I shrieked, dropping to my knees. Eyes shut tight, I waited for something abnormal to happen, but nothing happened. For almost five minutes I kneeled on the floor with my eyes shut, and after that time passed I cracked my eyes open.

We were still in my house, there was still black kanji on my poor white carpet, and there were passed out Akatsuki members littered about my living room.

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><p>I had to have a cup of hot chocolate. The stress was coming to a boiling point, and I felt like I was either going to burst into hysterical tears, maniacal laughter, or pull out the butcher knife in my silverware drawer and start a mass murdering spree upon my unsuspecting neighborhood. Hot chocolate had always calmed me down, so I tore open a packet of chocolate powder, mixed it in some milk, and nuked it in the microwave.<p>

Sitting at my kitchen table, I tapped my foot repeatedly against the tiled flooring as I rapidly sipped my hot chocolate. I didn't know exactly what to do with the passed out, fictional characters in my living room. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't completely weak in the standards of my world, but the chances of me being able to lift _one_ of those men were slim to none.

Even if I could carry one of them, where would I carry them? The police station was on the other side of town, and it wasn't like when I got there I could just say: 'Oh, hey, yeah, this is one of several men that crawled through my television screen during the last storm. They're fictional characters from my favorite TV show, and they tried to kidnap me. Could you, ya' know, do something?'

That would be a great way to get me a one-way ticket to the loony bin dressed up in a shiny new, white jacket. Besides, even if I did turn them in, they could break out of any of our normal prisons with their hands cuffed behind their backs.

Another reason I didn't feel the urge to turn them in was because, despite the fact that I had tried to escape earlier, they didn't seem so bad now that they were all heavily sleeping. They were spread out across the room, occasionally twitching or shifting in their sleep. I couldn't help but notice that Kisame, Hidan, Deidara, and Tobi were the only ones that really snored. If the others did it was really quiet, and only for a few moments before they quit.

There was a sudden sound of movement, and my head snapped towards the doorway. I tilted back in my chair, looking into the living room through the wide door way. Tobi was the one who had shifted, and in his sleep he had attempted hugging Hidan. Hidan, who seemed to notice the cling-on, violently kicked in his sleep and nailed Tobi in the hip.

I flinched, but luckily Tobi didn't wake from the violent hit. He merely began to cuddle into the plushness of my, now written on, carpet.

Slowly, I stood from my seat at the table and walked into the living room. I stepped over Itachi, happy that they were so dopey that even their ninja senses wouldn't wake them. I moved around Zetsu, and vaguely wondered how they got him to fit through my television. His lower body was slim enough for it, but the venus fly-trap around his upper body looked like it would quite the squeeze to get it through my TV.

I was headed for the other hallway, so that I could go to the bathroom, but something caught my eye as I stepped over Kisame. Samehada had fallen off of Kisame's back when he passed out, and the chakra-eating sword lay upon my carpet quietly. A few of the bandages had become unraveled, and the parts showing almost looked as if they were moving.

Now, I wasn't stupid. I knew that Kisame's sword literally shredded anything that wasn't its owner, but that didn't stop me from being curious. I reached over Kisame, who gave out an obnoxious snore, and pulled a leaf off the plastic potted plant I had in the corner. Getting down on my knees, I slowly began to reach the leaf towards the sword.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, kitten."

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><p><strong>Piper: Whew. I got a bit stuck in the middle, but I'm really happy with how it turned out.<strong>

**Please Review!**


	3. Awake

**Piper: You guys make me smile. Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and alerts. I honestly didn't think this story would go as well as it is, and I'm glad that you guys like it! Also, sorry this is late, I was busy last weekend.**

**I'm going to try and update again today or tomorrow so that I can't make up for the lateness. I shouldn't have a late chapter already on such a new story, I apologize to any who are angry with me.**

**I don't own Naruto...sadly...**

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><p><span>Chapter 3 - Awake<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

I squeaked loudly, falling onto my bottom. Kisame smirked at my noise, still laying on the floor, now with his arms casually behind his head. He chuckled a bit at my fear-struck expression, and reached towards me. I flinched violently, but his hand passed me and gripped Samehada's handle. He pulled the chakra-eating sword closer and began to re-wrap the part that was showing. I quickly threw the plastic leaf into the potted plant, and sat there.

When he finished wrapping, Kisame let the sword lay back down on the carpet. He looked at me, his shark like eyes piercing my shivering soul. I looked at him with wide, green eyes, and he seemed to look amused at my fear. He suddenly sat up in a swift motion, and stretched loudly. His bones popped and cracked as he branched out slowly.

I flinched slightly at the noise, and tilted my head towards the floor. I continued to look at him from the corners of my eyes, however, slightly weary about what he might do when I'm not looking. He noticed me examining him, and smirked a bit. I think he took it the wrong way at first, and I blushed heavily and turned my stare towards my carpet. Which was still drawn on, I noted with a deep frown.

"Not all of us are a cold as Leader-sama, and Itachi," He said, his eyes lazily resting upon me.

My face twitched with doubt, and his eyes shimmered in what seemed to be amusement. Slowly, I stood, his eyes following as I did so. I turned slowly, making sure he wasn't going to move after me, and then scurried back into the kitchen. I stepped over all members in the way carefully, not wanting anymore to wake, but I was too late for that. Just as I was about to enter the kitchen through the doorway, a hand wrapped around my ankle.

I gasped, and held onto the corner of the wall to stop my fall. I looked down, and saw Hidan looked up at me with heavily lidded purple eyes. The parts that I could see were clouded with sleep, dim and dark. He merely blinked at me, and opened his mouth to ask me, "What the fuck's for breakfast, bitch?"

Blinking slightly, I ran over my words, "I-uh, I don't, ahh..."

"Let her go, Hidan," A deep, tired voice growled slightly, and a familiar arm shot out to smack the silverette upside the head.

Hidan's hand retracted to caress the back of his abused skull, a stream of curses flowing from his pale lips. He kicked at the tan, stitched male next to him as I slipped into kitchen on the verge of a heart attack. I practically fell into my kitchen chair, and drank the rest of my hot chocolate in one good chug. Not only did it burn my throat, but did nothing to stop me from feeling anxious and scared.

Kisame entered the kitchen first, Samehada now strapped to his back. I watched him with slightly wide eyes as he sat across from me. He grinned at me, his eyes squinting slightly and his shark-like teeth glimmering in the lighting.

I attempted to move my chair away from the table slightly, swallowing nervously. It was stuck on the linoleum, however, and my slight movements did nothing to move the chair.

Next came in Hidan and Kakuzu. Hidan was still cursing at the stitched man, and drew my lips into a thin line. I examined them, and found myself slightly interested. Not in the romantic way, but how they looked compared to the television. The real features, knowing that they weren't cosplayers in wigs and outfits, it was all an odd feeling. Like Kisame, for an example. The gills that moved slightly on the skin of his face and the sharp points of his teeth made him look like something straight out of a horror film.

Hidan himself truly did live up to looking albino. The snow white coloring of his skin made the silver hair atop his head stand out even more, and the purple of his eyes could almost be mistaken for a pinkish red from far off. He was built slightly, with more toned muscles. He wasn't as tall as Kisame or Kakauzu, but taller then me.

Kakuzu I could not see much of. Most of him was covered by his cloak and his mask. The only visible part of his body was his exposed eyes and the tanned skin around them, and that it's self was a sight to see. The parts of his eyes that were supposed to be a blank white were a vibrant crimson, and the middles were and green so electric it was unbelievable.

They seated themselves at the kitchen table, and Hidan looked at me from the corners of his eyes. I gulped, and got up. I moved to refrigerator and pulled out two cartons of eggs. I could feel my wallet hurting as I realized that both cartons would be used up in one day on feeding all of these men, because normally those portions would be able to be rationed over a few weeks depending on if I ate eggs or not each day.

"H-How do you like your eggs?" I asked quietly, and used the many days of working as a waitress to remember the three orders.

As I was cooking their eggs, Deidara and Zetsu wandered in. Deidara seemed to visibly sniff the air before he found the source. He grinned slightly at me, and I looked down at my skillet. I tried to concentrate on cooking the eggs, but a sudden warm breath on the back of my neck made me uneasy.

"What are you cooking, yeah?" He said, and his warm breath hit the back of my ear.

Shivering slightly, I bit my tongue. I was panicking on the inside, and torn between yelling at him, punching him, or crying.

"Oi, get the fuck back from the damn food, Blondie!" Hidan cursed, "You're going to fucking screw it all up!"

Kisame chuckled somewhere from behind, "You'd think that because you look so girly you'd be a bit good at cooking! But, hell, you burn everything you touch!"

I twitched slightly at the sexist comment, and I could practically hear Deidara seething behind me. I quickly plated the food and passed the plates to the three table inhabitants. I walked back for the fridge, opening the door to let a rush of cool air come bursting forth.

"How do you like your eggs, Deidara?" I asked, snapping him from his anger.

He looked at me, blinking in shock at the sound of his name being called. A light color tinged his cheeks, but it quickly went away as he gave me an answer. He took my old seat at the table, and I turned to Zetsu. He seemed to be having a heavy conversation with himself. I took a step towards him timidly, and his golden eyes suddenly locked onto me.

I examined him at that moment, my spine shaking. The dark side of his body seemed to have a slightly larger eye, but that was probably a trick of the coloring as the ebony side of his skin didn't have a pupil in the caramel depths of his eye. The light side, however, did, and it was trained on my short figure. His hair was short, choppily cut into grass green spikes. Aside from those features, the thing that stood out the most was the venus fly trap around his upper body.

"Yes? **What do you want?**" Zetsu spoke, and I was shocked for a second.

The two voices that came from him were two completely different tones. One was more gentle, normal, and carefree. The other was slightly deep, more gravely almost.

"I-I don't know exactly what you e-eat," I admitted, locking eyes with the larger man for a few seconds before looking at the floor.

"We eat meat, **woman**. **Raw meat**," He spoke, the two different voices answering making me feel like I was talking to two totally separate beings at one time.

I looked back up, and saw him watching me hungrily. I remembered something about Zetsu being cannibal, but I didn't know if it completely true or not. I didn't want to test it out, so I scurried to the refrigerator and dug around in the freezer on the top. I pulled out the only steak I had, the steak I had bought for my up coming birthday.

"I'll let this thaw out, will it do?" I asked, afraid that he wouldn't want to eat it.

A breath of release silently left me when he nodded, and he leaned against the wall near the table. He had resumed talking to himself once he had stopped conversing with me. I noticed, however, how his eyes watched the steak as I put it into the microwave to thaw. I set it up the timing on the steak and went to cook Deidara his breakfast.

As I cracked the eggs into the pan, I watched as a certain black haired male entered the kitchen. I stiffened slightly, and kept my self a bit alert. I didn't want to be grabbed again, and I wanted to be prepared if he tried to knock me out with sharingan again. I could feel him standing like Zetsu, since there was no more chairs left to sit in.

"Would you like something to eat, too, Itachi?" Saying his name aloud sent shivers down my spine, and tasted like tangy fear.

I looked at him over my shoulder, trying to suppress a shiver as our eyes connected for the first time since the arrival of the evil organization. They were a deep crimson, so bright that it looked like his eyes were bleeding. The black pupil and the ebony colored tomoe of the sharingan stood out against the sea of rose coloring that was his eyes. They colors of his eyes popped out against his lightly paled skin, and seemed to be his most dominate feature, aside from the sharp and handsome tributes to his face.

He nodded at me, and my tongue felt a bit heavy as I attempted to string together another sentence.

Kisame looked up from his egg sandwich, and swallowed a mouthful before speaking, "Itachi likes his eggs as a sandwich."

I nodded at Kisame, and turned back around quickly. I started preparing Itachi's meal. Glancing at the clock on the stove, I saw that it was already four o'clock at night. I sighed slightly, realizing that I wans't going to get any sleep before school.

Just as I was almost finished plating Itachi's food, Deidara spoke through a mouthful of food, "So, Sakura, yeah. How'd you get that bruise on your cheek?"

It got a bit quiet in the kitchen, an odd silence washing over like a tsunami. Even Zetsu had stopped the conversation he was having with him self to listen to my answer. The sounds of men eating was either quieted, or none existent. It was unnerving, and I forgot how to make a response for a moment. Finally, after a few seconds of silence I picked up Itachi's plate and turned.

Their eyes were on me, I realized with a jolt to the heart. I masked my face, and stiffly moved over to Itachi. Without looking him in the eyes, I handed him a plate and backed away.

"I was hit by a ball in my gym class," I lied through my teeth, avoiding eye contact. I was one of the many people who couldn't look others in the eye when they were lying, unless I had a good enough reason to lie.

When I looked up, I saw a few doubtful gazes cast in my direction, and gulped quietly.

"Yeah, and I'm a fucking fairy princess," Hidan cursed quietly into his plate of scrambled eggs.

I couldn't help the image that popped into my brain. It was of Hidan, a frilly pink tiara atop his head in a hot pink ballerina uniform. The tutu upon his hips was frilly and curly. He held a powder pink wand in his hand, a purple star on top of it. He had make up painted on that reminded me of the girls in my school that liked to cake their entire face in the stuff.

My stomach cramped with suppressed laughter, and I couldn't stop the slight chuckle that fell from my lips at the mental image inside my brain. Eyes were once again upon me, and I blushed to the roots of my hair. I looked at the floor, when I heard feet pad into the kitchen. I looked up, and my eyes connected with the leader of the Akatsuki, a certain puppet-man with dark red hair a few steps behind him.

Rinnegan eyes met mine once more, and the air was constricted from my lungs. I couldn't look away, and I could feel more heat rise to my face.

"D-Did you want something to eat?" I stuttered, frozen in my place.

He raised a fine brow, and slowly he nodded. I asked him how he liked his eggs, and once that was done with he kicked Hidan out of his place at the table and sat down. I was met withy silence when I asked Sasori if he wanted anything, and remembered with a blushing face that Sasori was a puppet. He didn't eat.

I fixed the Leader his food and handed it to him, quickly moved away from the table. Just when I did so, the last member of the Akatsuki woke.

"Is pretty Sakura making breakfast for Tobi and his friends?" A loud voice shout, and a black blur darted into the room.

I gasped loudly as he crashed into me, wrapping his arms around me firmly. My heart was beating against my rib cage as he began to shake me back and forth, squealing about how cute I was. A light blush adorned my face, but it was over powered by a tint of green to my face. I wasn't very good with dizzy, and his spinning had my brain tumbling.

"Tobi, yeah! Let her go you idiot!" Deidara snarled, snapping up from his place at the table.

Itachi calmly slid into the now empty seat, watching as Deidara stomped over to us.

Deidara's arm stretched around me, and snatched Tobi's collar. The hyper man was suddenly ripped from me, and I fell to the floor in a dizzy heap. I held my head in one hand, using the other to keep my from falling flat onto my back. I watched with a hazy head as Deidara beat Tobi in the head, making the poor man fall to the ground.

Normally, in the anime, it was funny to watch Tobi be reprimed, because it was fake. In real life, it hurt to watch almost. I looked away, my heart slightly heavy. I didn't like watching any one get beat up in real life, it made me think of my Principle and what she might have in store for me the next time she sees me.

"Deidara-senpai! Tobi was just asking a question!" Tobi whined slightly from his place on the floor.

I heard Deidara scoff, and watched as he turned from his former victim. His brow twitched when he saw Itachi sitting in his seat. He seemed to bite his tongue, and walked over to the wall to lean against it. I looked away from him and towards Tobi, who was still on the floor away from me. I bit my lips slightly, pity swelling up in my stomach.

"Are you hungry, Tobi?" I asked softly, my head lightly throbbing from the spinning.

He turned his masked face towards me, and suddenly I was pulled off of the floor. He cradled me to his chest, and cooed, "Thank you, Sa-ku-ra! It's been a long time since Tobi has had anyone make anything for him!"

"Y-You're welcome. C-Could you put me down so that I can cook? How do you like your eggs?" I questioned, and he put me down.

He chirped me his answer, and he hovered around me as I began to cook his meal. When it was done, he quickly took his plate and sat himself in corner. I watched, slightly amused, as he slipped pieces of egg underneath his mask without it moving away from its place.

The fact that he had a different identity underneath that mask made me uneasy, but as long as I didn't have to see it face on and the other Akatsuki were around when he was, I would be okay.

I hoped.

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><p><strong>Piper: Sorry, more filler than anything. Next chapter will be better, I promise.<strong>

**Please review and tell me whatcha think!**


	4. Unlawful

**Piper: Hello! For those who celebrate the holiday, I hope you all had a good 4th of July! I sure did. My friends and I had so much fun, I was so exhausted afterwards. I want to thank everyone who reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story. I didn't expect to be as liked as it is, and I'm glad that some of you enjoy it.**

**I don't own Naruto, or any products that are mentioned.**

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><p><span>Chapter 4 - No Laws<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

When the Akatuski had been given their meals, I put away was left of the eggs. I needed to save as much as I could to try and conserve money. Money was so tight for me, it was almost hard to breath any time I got a bill. I tried to use my appliances as little as I could. I limited myself television, which wasn't normally necessary because I was hardly home to watch it. If the Akatsuki hadn't popped through the screen, the television would have been turned off in about a half hour to an hour.

"So, girl," The Leader spoke, his eyes looking lazily looking up from his plate.

I looked up, but I stared at the top of his head instead of his eyes. I always got lost in them, and I wasn't able to tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing. It was like looking into one of those black and white mind tricks. The longer you stared at it, the dizzier you got and you felt as though you weren't able to pull away from it.

"First, my eyes are down here," He mused slightly, "Second, tell us of your world."

Several people looked up, interested. It was like being stared at by a monster with multiple eyes that were all different colors and shades.

"Well, I guess I could say that we are more technologically advanced then your world," I said, and noticed that I was slowly becoming more comfortable in the room with these criminals.

His eyes narrowed slightly, "And how would you know of our world?"

I swallowed slightly, "In our world, your world is... Well, a source of entertainment for many people. The story of your world is told through mainly following the Kyuubi Container, Naruto Uzumaki."

Itachi and Kisame seemed slightly more interested now that their tailed beast was involved. Pein was looking at me with hardened eyes, and I vaguely wandered if he was always this way. I wasn't as scared of them as I had been, but don't get my wrong they were still terrifying. I didn't know if it was natural or not but it was almost like I could feel their power, or chakra if you will. It just made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, almost like I was a small deer in a cage with several lions. But, somehow, the fear slowly began to fade away. As long as they weren't attacking me or getting into my personal space in a bad way, I was okay.

I continued, "It goes through his life starting from when the Kyuubi attacked the village and is sealed within him as an infant, and then time skips to when he is older. At that point he is still in school, unable to pass. It goes through many points in his life, but it manages to add some back story to a lot of others in your world. There are a lot of flashbacks and everyone has a story that can be told."

Pein leaned back in his chair slightly, "How do you 'see' our world?"

"We see and read it," I explained, "Your world is a television show named after the main character, "Naruto". It's is technically called an 'Anime'. There is a drawn form of it, however, and that is called the 'Manga'. It what the Anime is based after, I think. The Manga is basically the original form of the Anime, drawn out in panels in a book. The Manga technically has more to it then the Anime, because some things are left out in the Anime due to different reasons."

The Akatsuki were silent for a moment, trying to let it sink in. After a minute or two of silence, I went into explanation of how our world was different then theirs. I explained some of the more advanced technology, and vehicles. It took them a bit to get the concept of a car, but you could expect that as they had never really heard of something like that. I explained the world, using my History book I had brought home, and showed them where we currently were.

As I was finishing up my explanations, I said something that made them stare at me.

"No one in this world...can preform jutsu, yeah?" Deidara asked, his blue eyes slightly wider then before.

I shook my head, "No, we can't."

"But you have chakra," Pein pointed out.

Blinking once, I asked, "I do?"

"Yes, and I can feel that your neighbors also have chakra," Kisame said, blinking slightly.

I looked down, "Well, I if people of my world do have chakra then no one knows how to use it. There are ninja in our world, people who practice fighting techniques and things like that, but their bodies aren't physically capable of pulling of the speed and strength you guys can."

Pein was leaning on the back legs of the chair, and it was weird to see someone like him do something so casual. He looked at the ceiling, before speaking, "The chakra signatures of the people in this world are suppressed. Ours is not suppressed because of the world we were born in, and that were were able to awaken our chakra as we grew up. If we bring someone from this world into our world, is quiet possible that we could open their suppressed chakra."

I tilted my head curiously, and he continued, "The people here have abnormally large chakra stores. It normally takes ninja quiet a few years to reach stores like this, but for the people of this world it seems that they are born with it. Like yourself, Sakura. You yourself have quiet a large pool of chakra."

Frowning slightly, I looked down. I raised my hands and stared at my palms, wandering about what it would be like to be able to kill with a flick of my finger. I didn't feel quiet okay with killing, but I was only human. Every human wanders what would happen if they were able to have power, to be above the rest. I wasn't power crazy like the other kinds of people we these thoughts, but the thought of crushing the ones who mistreated me my whole life was scarily appealing.

Shaking my head, I looked at the clock on the stove. It was now five thirty. I usually got read for school as six, and I knew that it was going to be impossible for me to even sleep at all now.

"I have to get ready for school," I mumbled slightly, and I could feel the punishment for staying up all night long kick in.

Work was going to be a nightmare today, I realized as I entered the hallway. I took some clothes from my room and went to the bathroom. I cleaned up in the shower and stepped out of the bathroom with a wet head of pink hair. I had a towel draped over my shoulders, so that my school clothes wouldn't get wet.

The Akatsuki had put my living room furniture back to its normal positioning, all of them now standing about the room. Kisame, Itachi, and Pein were sitting on the couch. Tobi sat on the floor, playing with the TV and the remote. I watched as he flipped through channels, and stepped into the room.

Eyes turned towards me, and I felt out of place in my baggy black jeans and smooth, black, long-sleeve shirt. I avoided their eyes as I traveled to my backpack, which had been thrown off to the side some time last night when they had been drawing on my carpet and performing their jutsu. I made sure all of my things were still inside before zipping it up and setting it down near the wall next to hall out of the house.

"You said that you had school?" Pein asked from his position on the couch.

I nodded, "Yeah, to learn more about math, science, history, and writing. Things like that."

He looked at me, and his eyes seemed to be searching for something. Finally, he turned away. I was able to breath once more, and I continued to prepare myself for the long day ahead. I was already beginning to feel the effects of staying up all night. I had never done so before, not once in my life. I stayed up a bit late occasionally, but I had never stayed up a full night. It was taking its toll on me.

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><p>"Will all of you be alright here while I'm gone?" I asked, as I was about to leave out the door.<p>

I got a few blank stares, so I took that as a yes. I called out a nervous good-bye, and left the house. I didn't trust them alone in my home, I didn't trust them period, but I had to. I had no choice. Some how I was going to have to pay for more food and the bills, balancing school work along with that. I could hardly afford to feed myself, let alone a bunch of grown men. On the inside, every time I thought about that my mind would flash with painful panic. I didn't now how I was going to afford to live this way.

Looking around me, I followed the normal route I took to school. A few other teens and kids were walking, but they didn't join me. They actually seemed to avoid me, staying on the side walk on the other side of the street. I guess it was because I was such an outcast in my school. I didn't have really anything to share in common with the kids of my school.

I wouldn't say I was talentless, I just didn't know what I was good at. Living a life style like mine gave me no options to try something different. I got few chances at school, because I didn't take many extra classes that were for dilly-dallying. I didn't take art classes, music, or anything creative like that. I took a simple cooking class so that I could keep myself alive with a few recipes, and the rest of my classes went towards subjects that would help me get that best degree that I could.

As I entered the school, I felt my legs suddenly jerk from beneath me. I grunted as I fell to the ground, and there was a chorus of laughter from different people that watched my fall, being tripped by a random boy in a football jersey.

I was like many outcasts, I had some bullies. They were nameless, really. It wasn't a certain person that continued relentlessly, it was more like an occasional bored passerby. I wasn't the only one treated this way, so I didn't make a big deal of it. It wasn't worth the energy. If I started fighting someone, I would only get more hurt by getting sent to the Principle's office.

Picking myself up, I quickly made my way to my locker. I was once again ignored, and I ignored everyone else. I used to have a few friends in this school, but most ended up moving on as we all grew up. I had one best friend, a boy named Harley. He and I were good friends until we grew older, and his boyish instincts got in the way. He wanted a girl friend, and that took up most of his time to the point that I was mostly forgotten. He does occasionally smile at me in the hallway, but I know that we will never be as close as before. We were now total strangers.

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><p>I went through the first two periods of the day in a slight daze, sleep the only thing on my mind. When I got to third period, I was ready to collapse. I sat at my desk, and after about ten minutes of listening to mathematical equations, my mind shut off. My head lay down upon my desk, and I was dead asleep. I was so exhausted that I didn't even dream, which wasn't normal for me.<p>

_**Smack!**_

I jerked up at the noise, all sleep shocked from my eyes. The teacher had slapped a ruler on the desk next to my head, and I was at the receiving end of her annoyed and disappointed stare. Children giggled around us, always excited to watch someone get in trouble no matter who the person was.

The teacher pointed to the door, handing me a slip with her other hand, "I'll calling the office and telling them that you're going to be visiting them, Ms. Haruno."

It felt like I had swallowed a rock, my stomach hollowed and heavy. My bruises ached in what seemed to be remembrance. I couldn't fight her, and I got up. I scooped up my things and left the classroom as the teacher grabbed the phone. I made my way through the halls, following the familiar route to the office.

When I got there, the secretary looked up. Upon seeing me, she clicked her tongue in a disapproving way, "You will have to come back tomorrow morning, Ms. Haruno. Mrs. Kane isn't in today to see about what to do with you. What did you to this time, dear?"

"I fell asleep in class," I mumbled, as the bell rang in the background.

She shooed me away, sighing in exasperation, and I was relieved. I didn't want to have to face Mrs. Kane again. At least, this way, it was put off until tomorrow. I had much more to worry about now then about how I was going to treat the injury she was sure to inflict on me. Even so, the thought of what would happen tomorrow lingered in the back of my brain.

After third period was lunch, so I made my way to the cafeteria and found my usual empty table. I pulled some unfinished homework out and started to work, ignoring the loud noise around me. Most of my work was half-asses and under-thought of. I was to consumed by thinking about the Akatsuki, and hoping that my house wasn't completely destroyed when I get home. It was a known fact that _many_ men destroyed anything they touched, and I think the rule still applied very much so for super powered ninja.

What I didn't know, was that there was more of a problem then finding my house trashed.

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><p>I was totally drained, and I as I got closer to home I knew that the one thing I wanted was to take a nap before I went to work. Something told me that I wouldn't get it, however. The closer I got to home, the heavier that feeling got. When I turned onto my street, I felt as thought something was off in the air, but it was just a feeling. I was to exhausted to really think about anything properly, lack-of-sleep controlling my mind. I was walking around on auto-pilot.<p>

As I reached my home, I opened the door slowly. My mind was expecting to see broken furniture scattered along the hallway, but it was clean. Nervously, I peaked down the hallway into the living room. I couldn't see anything but Kisame's back, the tall man standing just next to the entrance. Sighing, I made my way down the hallway.

When I entered the living room, my stomach clenched in horror. I couldn't exactly believe what I was seeing, and my mind was exploding with panic. The Akatsuki looked at me, their faces completely clean of any guilt what-so-ever. They looked so nonchalant, and I couldn't fathom how they looked so calm and normal in this kind of situation.

"What did you... What did you do?" I whispered, unable to make my voice raise any higher.

Pein raised an eyebrow at me. His little look of innocents was corrupted by the fact that he was surrounded by items that weren't mine. Electronics, shirts, pants, shoes, and so much more. It looked like they robbed several stores, which I'm absolutely positive that they did while I was gone.

I was almost completely in shock, when I heard someone coo my name. I whipped around, and saw Tobi in the kitchen. He was loading arm loads of food into the refrigerator and cabinets, Deidara and Sasori helping with more normal sized loads. Most of the food that they had stolen was in one giant pile on the table. Tobi waved one free arm at me.

"Look, Sakura-chan, Tobi and his friends got you more food! Tobi and his friends noticed how little Sakura had and decided to go out and get more!"

Blinking rapidly, I looked around the living room. My eyes stopped on Kakuzu, who was sitting in a corner all by himself. He was sitting on a professionally stacked mound of dollar bills, and was sifting through one of multiple bags that were over flowing with the American currency. His eyes seemed to glow with happiness as he held out a large handful of hundred dollar bills, chuckling darkly within his mask.

My heart stopped, and I fell onto my bottom in shock, dropping my book bag onto the floor next to me. Kisame kneeled next to me, looking at my shocked face curiously. I couldn't speak at the moment. My voice box had transformed all sound that I could've made into words into a mental siren. I was screaming panic in my head, and I looked up at the people. They were all looking at me, seeming to be a bit confused by my attitude.

"D-Did you _steal_ all of this?" I asked, my voice coming out on a slightly crazy note.

"Of fucking course we stole all this shit, bitch. Don't fucking be such a damn goody-goody," Hidan commented from his position sitting on the floor, a Fruit-Roll-Up hanging from his lips.

I blinked at him, and said hysterically, "Do you know how much trouble I'm going to get in if the police find out that all this stolen property in my house? Of course, all of you sparkly ninjas will get away but they'll probably send me to juvy or even trial me for prison because of this!"

They all looked at me, and Kisame laughed, "All us 'sparkly ninja' would beat the shit out of anyone that tried hauling you away, Kitten. You're to amusing to let go of. Besides, they aren't going to find out. We did a little bit of studying before we went in, and made sure to use a henge just in case any of those recorders caught us on image."

"That doesn't make it okay!" I told him, and clamped my mouth shut.

I couldn't believe I just yelled at an S-Class Criminal, who could literally snap me in half like a twig. I also couldn't believe that I was surrounded by items that weren't properly paid for in the least. My mind clicked, and I crawled over to the coffee table. I scooped the remote into my hands and turned on the television. I surfed the channels until I found what I was looking for, and frantically pressed the select button.

_" - massive out break of stolen items has been reported all over Greenvale, Oregon, today. Multiple investigation teams have been sent out to try and decipher out the culprit, or culprits, as it would seem that there was multiple partners in crime as most stolen items were reported missing around a similar time. It has been reported that no surveillance videos were able to catch anything, except for the items stolen suddenly disappearing off the shelf mysteriously. More about this incident at the six o'clock hour - "_

I turned off the sound of the television, feeling most of the color draining from my face as I watched the reporters silent lips move. I couldn't believe this. I left them alone for a few hours and they caused a giant epidemic in the community without even getting caught. The fact that they stole wasn't something that bothered me, exactly, because they were criminals, they were used to taking what they wanted when they wanted. It was the fact that they brought it all back here and could've been caught.

A hand clapped my shoulder, I looked up at Pein, who was standing above me.

"See? No one knows, and no one will. Relax," He told me sternly.

I shrugged off his hand, and rubbed my temples. The stress and lack-of-sleep was eating away at my brain cells. I couldn't think properly, so I stood and gestured towards the hallway.

"I'm going to take a nap," I mumbled, walking towards the hall with my finger tips pressed to the sides of my head.

"I'll fucking join ya," Hidan said with a wicked grin, and was slapped over the head by Kakuzu.

I ignored his comment, and called over my should, "Wake me up a half-hour before five, please, I have work."

With that, I entered my room and threw myself onto my bed. I barely had time to wiggle under the midnight black covers, which I would later notice were brand new and smelled of store, before I was wrapped into a coccoon of sleep.

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><p>I woke to a very powerful poke to my forehead.<p>

Groaning slightly, I cracked open my eyes and rubbed my forehead. My visions blurred and danced for a few seconds, before it began to clear up. Itachi stared down at me, his sharingan spinning like a whirlpool. We had a staring match for a few moments, before I blinked. Once he was sure that I was awake and his job was done, he silently left the room.

Sighing, I stretched out. My aching muscles felt relieved at the motions, and I winced slightly as some of my bones cracked. I slithered out from under the covers, and rolled onto my feet. I uncurled and stood up straight. I stretched some more, trying to pop my back for some extra relief. Once I was rewarded with a blooming relief and a sickening pop, I looked at my bed. I narrowed my eyes at the unfamiliar covers, and felt slightly irritated that they had changed my covers with stolen ones.

I shrugged it off, and grabbed my work uniform. I left my room and entered the one across the hall. My bathroom was smaller, and slightly cramped. It was only big enough to fit a small counter with a sink, the toilet, the shower, and some standing room so that one could look into the mirror. I often stubbed my toe getting out of the shower, which normally put me into a cranky mood for a short amount of time.

Turning on the shower, I dropped my clothes and entered the warm water. I was very irritated when I saw a new, more expensive, brand of soap, shampoo, and conditioner inside. I reached for the new bottle of soap and uncapped it, bringing it to my face slowly. I took a sniff, and blinked slightly.

I got a refreshing, tropical smell tickling my senses. I had to admit that it smelled very good, better then the generic brand that I was forced to buy so that I could save money.

Sighing slightly, I shook my head and cleaned up. When I was done with my shower, I wrapped myself in a, stolen, fluffy white towel. I stubbed my toe on that damn counter, like normal. I cursed under my breath, and reached for the edge of the sink to keep myself steady. When I did so, and the pain in my foot had subsided, I realized how much fresher I felt. I quickly shook off the awe of the new products, a guilty feeling leaking into my mind. I shouldn't be enjoying stolen items.

I opened the cabinet that was the mirror, and my face went blank. Normally, I only had one bottle of perfume that lasted me a long time, about two bottles of body spray, and a deodorant stick to keep myself smelling at least _clean_. Now my cabinet looked like a smell-good store had been installed inside. My old bottle of perfume was gone, along with the almost empty bottles of body spray, and I couldn't find my normal deodorant.

Pulling out a pretty pink bottle distastefully, I looked at the label.

_'Cherry Blossom,'_ I thought dryly.

I quickly pulled out one of the few sticks of deodorant and put it on. I sprayed myself lightly with some of the pink bottled perfume, and put on my uniform. I sprayed two more puffs onto my clothes. It was over powering a bit, being shut in a room with the cloud of perfume I had just sprayed. When I had my heels put on, and I let myself out, however, I noticed that it did smell quiet good.

When I stepped into the living room, there were a few whistles. I blushed to the roots of my hair, looking down. I waited for their chuckles to pass, and I looked up at Pein, "Did you replace everything of mine?"

He didn't even blink at me, "Lots of things, we did."

"Even my clothes?" I asked, and felt myself blushing as I remembered that I saw a bunch of shirts I didn't recognize in my closet.

"We didn't buy you new underwear, if that's what you're thinking," Pein said, and his lips quirked slightly.

Hidan spoke up, "They didn't fucking want to, but I was fucking gunna get you some good damn stuff, if they hadn't stopped me."

Now overly embarrassed, I moved to go put my old clothes into the washing machine. When I did that, I looked at the clock. It was almost time for me to head out, so I said a slightly good-bye to the Akatsuki and left. I didn't even ask if they would be alright while I was gone, knowing that if they replied with anything negative that I wouldn't be able to stop them form doing anything else illegal.

I arrived at the cafe, only to have to listen to our boss bark at us workers. A few of the stronger workers bravely muttered words of hate under their breaths, ignoring the bosses yells and anger completely. I however, like the other more shy workers, was put right under the fire of his words.

Sighing, I moved towards a table with a single occupant, and asked them quietly, "Would you like to order now?"

The menu that had been blocking their looks was removed, and I blinked in shock at the familiar face staring at me. Wild, dark red locks framing a beautifully sculpted face. Familiar caramel colored eyes shined with slight amusement, a cool, bored voice said in a quiet tone, "Now, Sakura, you know I don't eat or drink."  
>"Sasori."<p>

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><p><strong>Piper: There ya go! Chapter for you!<strong>

**Please review!**


	5. Skeletal

**Piper: Thank you all once again for your reviews, and I hope you enjoy the (quick) chapter!**

**I don't own Naruto or any products mentioned**

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><p><span>Chapter 5 - Skeletal<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

"You seem so surprised to see me," Sasori commented dully, and I stared at him openly.

He acted like he wasn't in danger of being spotted by some random Anime addict. I know that many kids of my school thought the show was stupid, but that didn't mean that there were a few like me. That didn't mean that there weren't any kids that were _worse_ than I was. Whether they believed he was the real deal or a cosplayer, if the wrong kind of person recognized him I was sure there would be spilled blood, because I had no doubt that Sasori wouldn't take shit from a clingy fan.

I opened my mouth, "You are supposed to be back at the house with the other Akatsuki!"

He chuckled slightly, "Did you really think Pein would let you go out without being watched?"

I shivered slightly at the thought that one of the Akatsuki had been stalking me all day. Suddenly, I could feel my boss's stare burning into my mouth, obviously wandering why I hadn't started writing down an order or walked away from the table. I pulled my lips into a thin line, and muttered sternly for Sasori to order something to at least pretend he was a normal customer. He did so, ordering a cup of coffee to go.

Heading for the kitchen, I called for one of the cooks to whip up a new pot of fresh coffee. As they did so, I went to the back to open up a new package of to-go cups. When I opened the door to the backroom and closed it behind me, I got one more almost-heart-attack to add to my growing list. Inside the storage room stood Zetsu, arguing with himself quietly.

"Zetsu!" I said, shocked, heart pounding frantically against my ribcage, "You're here, too?"

Both sides of him quieted, and then spoke at me instead of himself, "**Yes**, Leader-sama's orders."

I shook my head slightly, and reached into one of the many boxes piling up in the room. I pulled out a packet of to-go-cups and looked back at Zetsu. He was staring at me with slightly glazed eyes, and I got a slight inkling that he may have been hungry at the time. I blinked at him a couple of times, and said, "Are you okay, Zetsu?"

He blinked, his clouded eyes clearing, and he nodded, "Yes, I am fine - **You smell good**."

Pursing my lips, I slowly exited the room knowing that the multi-persona man could get out using a different method then the door. I shook my head once I was outside, and headed back into the kitchen. I saw my pot of coffee on the oven, a small stream of step leaking from the spout and towards the ceiling. I stood still next to it, and used a stray cooking knife to slice open the bag of cups. I kept one cup and lid off to the side, and stored the others away on the counter they belonged on.

I picked up a hot pad, and took the handle of the coffee pot. My finger slipped, and I hissed in pain as it touched the searing hot pot. I almost dropped the pot in an attempt to draw my hand away. One of my co-workers asked if I was okay, and I waved there worry away as I sucked on my burned finger.

Sighing, I quickly poured the coffee and sealed it away inside the cup. I picked it up, and moved back into the main room of the cafe. Sasori's eyes were on me as soon as I entered the room, and I couldn't stop the light blush that dusted my cheeks due to embarrassment. It normally didn't take this long just to get a cup of coffee, and by the slight annoyance in his eyes I could tell that he didn't like how long I had taken.

I nervously placed down his cup, but as I pulled away his wood hand caught mine. It was an odd feeling. I knew they were the hands of a human-puppet, and they were so soft that they almost felt like human flesh. They were still rough, almost like the hands of a human being that worked a lot every day.

"Let me see your burn," He commanded, leaving no room for an argument.

"You heard that?" I asked quietly, watching as he took my hand in his.

He unnoticeably touched the burn with a slightly glittering hand, an almost unnoticeable green glow coming from his skin. The pain from the burn on my finger was washed away by the other worldly powers he preformed, and I was the reddened skin slowly return to it's normal color. I pulled my hand back and thanked him quickly, before scurrying away.

Sasori took his to-go-cup and left the cafe, but that didn't stop me from being suspicious. After finding Zetsu in the supply closet I was searching for just about anything. I was almost expecting Tobi to jump out at me, screaming 'Surprise!', when I entered the employee bathroom. But, he didn't, and I didn't spot any of the Akatsuki for the rest of my shift. In the back of my head, however, I knew that just because I couldn't see them didn't mean that they were still there.

Or, maybe I was just being paranoid. I hoped so.

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><p>I was about ready to collapse once again as I entered my house. I trudged down the hall and into the living room, and saw that the Akatsuki had organized the things they had stolen. The unopened items were stacked against the walls in different piles here and there, while opened things took up space in a part of room that wasn't used.<p>

When I entered all eyes turned towards me, and I couldn't suppress the yawn that escaped my lips at that time. I blinked at them, and locked my eyes onto Pein. He held the scroll for the jutsu they had tried to use before, likely studying it to see what exactly went wrong with it that late night.

"You know," I said tiredly, "You don't have to send members out to spy on me. I'm not going to tell any one about you guys, your secret is safe. I know that you'd kick my ass if I did anything against you like that, and the people of my world don't stand a chance against you guys."

Pein blinked his ringed eyes at me, processing my sluggish words, before he said simply, "You misunderstand my reasons for having members follow you, girl."

I opened my mouth to question, but he continued to speak with a smooth change of the subject, "I have figured out why the jutsu didn't work. I found some very fine print stuffed into a corner of the scroll, revealing that there is a week waiting period between each use of the jutsu."

"So next week you will be leaving," I confirmed, and sat down on the floor next to Kisame, who offered me a pop-tart from the packet he was eating.

Pein tilted his head, his eyes catching mine easily, "_We_ will be leaving, Sakura."

I had almost forgotten that they were taking me along with them, which was odd when I thought about it. Most of my stress had been coming from the fact that I had almost been kidnapped by a bunch of fictional characters. I didn't know what to think about that. I was going to be going to world I had only been able to dream of and watch from afar. But, it wasn't just my dream world, it was a dangerous world.

I doubted that I would be able to protect myself in the least there.

* * *

><p>Three days passed, almost in a routine. Mrs. Kane hadn't shown up to school those two days, reliving me of the beating I was expecting once she returned. Everything else, however, went more smoothly. Well, as smooth as life can be when one's house is full of S-Class Criminals. At first, I had worried about sleeping space, but they were perfectly fine sleeping on the floor with the plushy pillows and blankets that they had stolen days before.<p>

The stealing thing wasn't completely through. I would come home from work or school and find something inside the house that hadn't been there before. I would give them a disapproving stare when I would see it, but I knew that was about all I could do about it. They were criminals, this was what they did. But, even so, that didn't stop me from worrying about the police. I watched the television as much as I could to see if they were gaining any evidence on the large left around town, but so far they didn't even have the slightest piece.

I talked with the Akatsuki more and more, and learned a few quirks about them here and there. I didn't know them too closely, since I was always busy or tired. It was hard to balance a social life on the plate I had, and the Akatsuki had taken notice of it quickly. It must've bothered them, because on the second day that had passed Tobi had started crying before I had went to work. He pleaded that I quit, and let the job go. My reply was simple; I wasn't going to pay my bills with stolen money.

Now the forth day, I woke up to my normal wake up call. A nice, chakra infused poke to my forehead. Itachi and I wouldn't speak, just stare, and once he was sure that I was up and awake he would leave the room. My thoughts on my new alarm was that one of these days he was going to leave a bruise on my forehead, and I wasn't going to be very happy.

I stretched loudly, yawning while I did so. I grabbed some clothes for the day and headed for the bathroom. I took a shower and cleaned up nicely, dressing for school and keeping a towel over my shoulder so that I wouldn't get my shirt wet. I walked into the living room and stepped over a snoring Deidara, who was sprawled out widely in his spot on the floor.

My nerves were eating away at me, like they had been each morning for the past few days. It was because I was wondering if Mrs. Kane would be back that day, and what was going to happen when I checked in at the office. Normally, detentions could be filed out by the secretary and recorder then, but since I was sent to Mrs. Kane's for every little thing, I was forced to go directly to her for punishment. A few other children had the same system for their punishments, because of how frequently they were handed out.

I poured myself a bowl of Fruit Loops cereal, stolen of course. Normally I would buy I generic brand of this cereal, and only one box in the house at one time. Now I had a whole cabinet full of breakfast materials. Pop-tarts, Cereal brand, granola bars, and other different foods. It was odd, being able to reach into the cabinet and pull out something that I could actually eat without fear of saving portions. It was habit, however, and when I was eating to-small of portions normally one of the Akatsuki would make me eat more.

When I was finished with my food, I washed up the dishes marinating in the sink. When they were all hand washed and dried, I put them away and grabbed my back pack from the table.

"I'm off to school, don't do anything too illegal," I called at them, heading for the front door.

"Yeah right, bitch!" Hidan yelled back.

A small smile touched my lips, and I shut the door behind me. I looked up at the sky worriedly, seeing a few droplets of rain drizzle down to earth. There wasn't supposed to be thunderstorms today, but it wasn't like the weather channel hadn't been wrong before. In fact, it's an off week if the weather channel isn't wrong at least _once._ I hope that this time, they weren't.

I quickly made my way to school, enjoying the cool rain while it lasted. I didn't want to be afraid of the beauty that rain possessed, but I couldn't shake the irrational fear I had of the thunder and lightning. It just wouldn't go away, no matter how hard I tried to shake it.

When I reached the school, I swallowed my fear and entered the dry school. I moved towards the office, and let myself in. The secretary looked up at me, and said in a slightly bored tone, "Mrs. Kane will be in after third period today, she had more private business to attend to today. Come in before your lunch period and you can explain to her what you did to get sent to the office."

Nodding shakily, and I scurried out of the office. If I was nervous before, I was almost sick now. The storm outside combined with the stress bouncing around in brain was enough to drive a person to the brink of insanity, which I was surprised about how sane I was at that moment. I pulled on a calm facade, and went through my day like normal.

I went through my first two periods in a false sense of strength, and when third period came around my mask crumbled to dust. I was checking the clock every second through out the whole period, whiling its ticking hands to slow down. Just the opposite happen, because it seemed like a chunk of minutes had flown passed every time I would glance at it. I almost couldn't breath by the time the bell had rang.

Following the other students out of the classroom, I took as much time as I could before I had to enter the cave of the beast. I stopped by my locker and dropped off my things, and slowly walked towards the office. I kept my pace like a turtles, groups of happy kids passing me quickly in an attempt to reach the lunch line first. I watched them go, and a longing feeling tugged at my heart. I wanted to have friends like that, the ones that would talk to me about anything and everything, who would stay by my side no matter what. But that, just like many things in my life, seemed to be just a dream.

I reached the office, and for a few seconds I just stood outside. After swallowing down part of my fear, I opened the door and stepped inside. The secretary was gone, obviously off to lunch now that the bell had rang. I made my way over to the Principle's door, and raised my hand. I faltered, breath catching, before I rapped my knuckles against the door.

"Come in."

Blinking slightly, I paused with my hand on the knob. Something sounded... wrong... about Mrs. Kane. Her voice didn't hold any of the normal hostility and hatred in it. It was emotionless, robotic even. I hadn't heard it before on her, but I had heard it somewhere else. Something was extremely off, and that just worried me even more. It took me a second, but I finally opened the door and let myself in.

I made a mistake by shutting the door behind me.

It was darker inside the room, because the lights were off and the curtains were drawn. They were thin, light colored curtains so they didn't completely block out the dull light coming from outside. In the shadows of the room sat , who was peering at me with her unnerving royal blue eyes. She motioned me further into the room with her finger.

Swallowing, I moved into the room and sat down in the seat on the other side of her desk. Her hawk-like eyes followed me the whole time, without even blinking.

"Ms. Haruno, do you know why you're here?" Mrs. Kane questioned in her new, robotic tone, eyes flashing slightly.

I looked away from her, "Because I fell asleep in class."

She shook her head, her bronze curls shaking over her shoulders. They were greasy and matted, almost as if they hadn't been properly taken care of in the past few days. It was odd, because normally Mrs. Kane seemed like a clean woman. She never smelled bad, and she almost always seemed to keep up the health of her hair, until now. It was that moment that I realized the odor in the room. It all seemed to be coming from her, and I took in her appearance. Her shirt was askew and stained, and she wore slacks instead of her usual, proper, knee-length skirt. Something was definitely off about this woman.

"No," She spoke, and her voice cracked slightly, "You're here, because you can't possibly stop screwing up."

I pursed my lips. knowing that if I opened my mouth she would become much more hostile much more quickly. I watched as she stood, and I tensed out of habit. Examing her closely, I watched as she walked around the room slowly. She stopped next to one of the two cabinets in the corner of her room, and she reached for a picture sitting atop of it.

It looked to be a picture of her and her husband, both smiling widely. She rubbed a finger across the glass in what seemed to be a caring gesture, but from the view I got I saw that it was her drawing her chipped, unclean nail across her picture-husband's exposed neck.

There was a siren going off in the back of my mind now, as the temperature of the room suddenly seemed to drop. My mind screamed for me to run away, but she was closer to the door then I was. If she saw my bolt she would easily be able to get to me or the door before I even put one toe through the door way.

"What was it you told me a few days ago, that I punished you for?" She whispered, her emotionless voice suddenly gone quiet with suppressed vexation.

Stiff in my seat, I quietly mumbled, "I don't remember."

It was a lie, I knew exactly what I had said. I just didn't want the reaction I knew was going to come from her. I knew how she was going to snap. I spent so much time on the receiving end of her anger that I almost knew her emotions as well as her parents could have. I knew what I could say to make her so filled with rage that she would repeatedly lash out until I couldn't even feel the beating any longer.

"Oh, but you do, you're such a terrible liar," She mumbled, her back now to me.

I watched her carefully, and felt a sick feeling rising in the back of my throat.

"Say it," Mrs. Kane said quietly.

Shifting as far away from her I could get while sitting down, I whispered, "No."

Mrs. Kane suddenly spun around, her normally calm eyes wild and crazed. She stomped over to my chair and wielded the picture in her hands like a weapon, causing me to flinch violently. She opened her mouth, and released a spew of words in a violent snarl, "Say it, _now_!"

Breathing heavily in fright, I looked away from her wild, crazed form. My heart was beating at top speed, and all I wanted to do was run away, but I couldn't escape from this. So, I did the only thing I could do, and opened my lips to say out loud, "I bet your husband hates living with a bitch like you."

My face suddenly exploded with pain, the sparkling glass of the picture shattering against the skin of my face. The little shards rained down on me to cut and embedded into my skin, and I could feel blood beginning to pour onto my face. Some of the cuts were deep, and I could feel glass stuck in some parts of my face. I was lucky enough to have closed my eyes before she hit me, or I might've just lost my eyes. I opened my mouth to scream, when a hand clamped tightly around the bottom half of my face.

Eyes wide with terror, I looked into the eyes of the beast. She had never been this violent before in my life. Sure, she had kicked me, punched me, and verbally abused me, but it had never went past that. She never lost so much control that she would throw things, aside from myself. She had never broken anything in her beatings, except maybe on of my ribs.

"The day you spoke those words to me," She whispered, her voice as cold as ice and as calm as a day without wind, "My husband called me from a hotel a few towns away. He's been cheating on me, and the past few days we have been going through the divorce paperwork. Each signature, and each minute that passed, slowly killed me inside."

I couldn't breath, her fingers were pinching my nose shut tightly, and her hand was sealed snugly over my mouth. My lungs frantically tried to take in oxygen, but they couldn't find any. There was nothing to take in, and I could feel my face changing colors as I was loosing my grasp on reality. Tears were leaking from my eyes, the salty liquid burning the bleeding cuts on my face

"This is all your fault," She whispered, and her hands pulled away from my face.

The first breath of air I got was knocked out of me, a powerful kick to my chest sending my chair toppling over. I hit my head against the back of the chair, and I could see bright dots dancing in my vision at the hard impact. My face was in total agony, and I was dry heaving. Blood was staining my taste buds, and I felt like getting sick. My bruised stomach felt like I had just gotten rammed by a car, and I was gasping for breath on the floor.

She laughed hysterically at my pain, and it hit me that something was really wrong with her. The shock of finding out about her husband's affair must've taken its toll against her mentality. She was no longer sane, and it occurred to me that she had no intent of stopping. She was going to beat me to death, and each moment that went by I could see several different ways she would take my life. When I thought about that, I felt guilty. The Akatuski would be alone. Sure, they could take care of themselves, but there was plenty they still didn't know about this world. They could get themselves in trouble with the law, and they wouldn't have the slightest clue as to what a gun was.

Her royal blue eyes pierced my soul as she kneeled next to my pained body, and I desperately tried to roll away from her. Her hand snapped out, taking a large fist full of my petal pink hair into her hand. I cried, feeling her pull my head up. Our eyes connected, and she smirked. She slammed her hand down, and my head cracked against the floor along with the motion. A scream tore from my lips, and suddenly her hand disappeared. Her own scream sounded through the tense air, and suddenly silenced with a suddenly sick ripping noise along with it.

I looked over, and my eyes widened in shock. Something had tore through the middle of her stomach, a familiar three bladed scythe. Two blood coated blades stuck out of her stomach, dripping blood onto the carpet.

My first experience with watching someone die, was terrifying. The life in her eyes drained away like water down a plug, and suddenly they seemed more like dull colored glass. Her skin seemed much more sickly colored, now that there was blood and guts literally pooling out of her gaping stomach. Her body was completely limp, no longer a brain active to send messages. Blood, ever moving despite the lack of life within her, trickled over the edge of her lips and spilled down her chin.

More tears poured down my face, and I looked away from the sight quickly. I shut my eyes tight, trying to curl into a ball. My stomach was still heaving, and I clutched the fabric of my shirt in my hands.

"It's just a dream," I whispered, my voice cracking from the tears, "It's just a dream."

I gasped loudly when a pair of arm scooped up my broken body, and I snapped my eyes open. I looked up, seeing myself in the arms of Deidara. He glanced down at me, his single blue eye clouded with emotion. My vision was so blurred, I couldn't tell what he was expressing. I closed my eyes, feeling the pain all over my body.

"Hidan, yeah, I'm taking her back to the house."

There was a sudden feeling of floating, and I could feel light droplets of rain trickle onto my face. It washed through the crimson blood on my face, irritating the wounds slightly. But, it felt nice, to feel the cool water roll down my face. I almost wished that it was pouring, even though I knew that would have been much more painful then the light sprinkle.

"Hang on, yeah," A familiar voice whispered in my ear, and I felt myself pressed closer to a comforting warmth.

I sighed slightly, feeling a thick trickle of blood slither down my throat. I coughed, trying to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling. I was shifted, so that I was more straight up. The motion made my stomach smart, and I swallowed down a mouthful of blood and bile. I tried to shift my self more comfortably, but I couldn't move. I moved my head down, and felt a soothing lullaby drum in my ears. I pressed closer, letting the lullaby fill my ears. It was a constant, smooth thump, and soothed me down.

"Move all the crap off the couch! Deidara, set her down here."

My lullaby was torn away from me, and I frowned slightly. I was put onto my back, and my ribs ached in pain. I groaned, twisted my head. A blaring light was trying to dig its way through my eye lids, and it was uncomfortable.

A soft hand touched my forehead, and a cool feeling swept over my brain. Despite the intense pain I felt in my body, I slowly began to numb and fall into a heavy sleep. My mind was so numbed, so at peace, that I couldn't even dream. No nightmare, no dreaming. Just a peaceful, calming blackness as the pain in my body slowly ebbed away.

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><p>A wave of aching hit me as I opened my eyes, the light blurring around me. I blinked away tears of sleep, and cracked open my crusted eyes. I rubbed the sleep away, noticing the pull in my in my face when my skin moved. Frowning, causing the stretching to pull more, I gently touched my face. A slightly pain tingle across my face as I felt along, and found three spots on my face that had stitches.<p>

Slowly all my memories piled in, and I felt my stomach began to twist into a knot. Flashes of pain, the crazy voice of Mrs. Kane, the feeling of my own blood flowing down my face, and the sight of my first dead body.

My eyes widened, tears flooding into their depths. I couldn't believe it. Mrs. Kane was dead, murdered. Even though I had hated her for what she did to me, was death really the answer? Did she have to die like that, and why did I have to witness it so up and close? I was almost positive that some of her blood had splattered onto me, touched my skin. Her blood was spilled, and her life was gone.

What happened now?

Suddenly something rose up, and I shot out of bed. I slammed open the door and into the bathroom, in such a panic that I couldn't even close the door. I fell next to the toilet, just in time as bile came up and out. The stitches on my face stretched painfully, and my bruised stomach clenched in pain at the sudden heaving.

My hair was pulled away from my face by a large, blue hand, the other placed on the middle of my back. My shoulders shook, and I swallowed away a sob. I quickly rose to my feet, hiding my face from Kisame. I turned on the faucet and bent down to swallow a mouthful of water. I swished cleaned out my mouth before spitting, then washing my face to clean it of tears.

Breathing heavily, I looked up. I saw Kisame raising an eyebrow at me in the mirror, and I avoided his eyes. I wiped my eyes to git rid of any stray tears, and turned around to face him. My nose almost brushed his chest, we were to tightly packed into the small bathroom. I pushed back a blush, and looked up at him.

We stared at each other for a few moments, before I turned and left the bathroom. I hesitated, feeling Kisame following close behind, before I made my way down the hall. Many eyes turned towards me, and I looked around at them. My eyes landed on Hidan, and a flash went through me. I looked away before I could meet his purple eyes. Knowing that they killed was one thing, but seeing them killing someone was completely different.

"Sakura."

I looked up, into Pein's eyes. He was looking at me sternly, his ringed eyes cutting into my very soul, before speaking again, "That wasn't the first time that woman hurt you, was it?"

Looking down, I found myself staring at the fading black outlines of kanji on my carpet. If I had known that I was going to get interrogated, I would've held back my vomit and pretend to sleep. I didn't want to talk about this. It was better when they didn't know that my Principle beat me, or before they realized how hard I struggled to meet each weeks end. When they figured how hard it was for me to buy food and pay bills, they stole. When they realized I was getting beaten, they murdered.

Pein stood, and continued to speak without an answer, "The bruise on your face, she did that, also."

"You didn't have to kill her," I whispered at the floor.

"The fuck we didn't! That crazy ass bitch would've killed your ass if we fucking didn't step in," Hidan spoke, and I looked up to meet his eyes for the first time since I woke.

They were glazed with anger, and the usual fiery attitude that came with him. He didn't seem to like me defending the woman that beat the shit out of me, and his teeth were grinding together when curse words weren't spilling out.

"Still, you didn't have to kill her. You could've just knocked her out, or-"

"Death is a very common thing in our world. You will have to toughen up to it if you want to survive and be strong. You will have to learn how to accept death, whether the person dying is deserving or not," Pein interrupted and our eyes clashed.

"Accept death," I mumbled quietly, and looked down at the carpet.

I bit my lip, and took in a deep breath. I wipped my mind clean, a new slate, a new chance. I forced the guilt away, and loosened up my mind. I thought about all the times she corners me, every time her fist connected with my face, every time she kicked me when I was down, and every time she tore me apart with her unkind words. Killing was still wrong in my eyes, but if I was going to live in their world, I would have to deal with death to survive.

Looking back up, I nodded to them.

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><p><strong>Piper: I should be updating my other story, but I'm having so much fun with this one, lol. It will be updated, though!<strong>

**Please review!**


	6. Scorch

**Piper: Hey there guys! Here's another chapter for you!**

**I don't own Naruto, Any songs, or any products mentioned.**

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><p><span>Chapter 6 - Scorch<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

That night, I couldn't get myself to close my eyes. Sleep fogged my mind, but I couldn't force myself to close my eyes for a long amount of time. I accepted that Mrs. Kane was dead and that I could very well be blamed for it if people found out that I was the last one to visit her in her office and see her alive, but that didn't stop nightmares.

I didn't know what I would see when I closed my eyes and fell into a slumber, and I didn't want to. I knew that see the nightmares would be a part of accepting the death, but I couldn't bring myself to sleep. I didn't want to relive any part of what had happened, the beating, the suffocating fear that I felt, or the sight of Mrs. Kane's blood and guts spilling from the gaping hole in her stomach. I didn't want to think about it, every time I did my throat would go dry and I felt like throwing up.

Sighing, I sat up in bed. I crossed my legs Indian style and looked at the clock. It was nearing two in the morning, and I closed my eyes lightly. I pushed any sleepy feelings away, and listened. I could hear some movement and talking in the living room, so not all of the Akatsuki were sleeping. I knew that they were night owls, lots of them liked to stay up very late into the night doing just about anything. I got used to the noise after a couple of days of having them here, and I slept through it normally. But, now I didn't want to sleep through their talk.

I pulled back and the covers and threw my legs over the edge of the bed. My feet touched the carpet, and my toes curled slightly. I stood, stretching slightly, and padded out of the bed room. I moved into the living room, and the Akatsuki turned to watch me enter. I stared back at them, feeling my eyes droop slightly, before I shook my head and sat down on the floor next to Tobi.

"Sakura-chan looks so tired!" Tobi commented, swinging an arm around my shoulders.

Unconsciously leaning into the warmth of his body, I shook my head, "I don't want to sleep."

It was silent for a few moments, and I stared at the television screen with Tobi. When my mind finally caught up with me and left the bed, I realized just who I was leaning into. I shook slightly, nervous. I didn't know how wise it would be of me to let on that I knew Tobi's real identity, so I didn't pull away from the masked man that kept his arm snuggly around my smaller body. I was nervous, and wanted an excuse. I looked over my shoulder, and saw Hidan and Deidara digging through the freezer in the kitchen.

"I'm going to go get something to eat," I mumbled, and pulled away from Tobi.

The masked man nodded, absorbed in the random killer movie playing on the screen. I stood and went for the kitchen. Just as I did so, Deidara pulled out a tub of, very much stolen, extreme chocolate ice cream. I hadn't really had something like that before. Sure, I had bought ice cream before, but I bought the less extravagant, plain brands that were much cheaper. Sweets were I treat I hardly ever got to have before the Akatsuki's stealing spree, and a small part of my was guiltily happy that I got to have such things.

Deidara saw me coming, and pulled two spoons from the silverware drawer. I smiled at him, and took the spoon offered to me. We sat down at the table, watching as Hidan gave up looking in the fridge and grabbed his own spoon. He sat down on the other side of me, and pulled the tub of ice cream in front of me so that he could reach it, too.

Deidara gave him a slightly cold stare, which Hidan gave a feral grin in reply. I ignored them, and dug my spoon into the frozen dessert. Despite being in the freeze for who knows how long, the ice cream slid out easily. I looked at my spoonful for a moment, before popping it into my mouth. I blinked in surprise, and chewed slightly on a chocolaty chunk of brownie that had come with my ice cream. I hadn't had anything like this before.

Both men surveyed my face of delight, before scooping their own spoons. They made a point of keeping the section they took ice cream from away from each other. Deidara got the one side, I got the middle, and Hidan took the remaining side. It was odd that it didn't really bother me, sharing ice cream from the same tub. But, the tub wasn't brand new. Someone had obviously already gotten in and had their fill of the top of the tub before putting it away. I didn't remember washing up any ice cream bowls, so it was obvious that these men didn't care too much about whether or not they shared germs. If I was going to live with them, I'd have to get used to is, as unappealing as that was to me.

"This is good," I commented, making Deidara look at me.

"You've never had stuff like this before, yeah?" He questioned, before scooping a hunk of ice cream into his mouth.

I swallowed, the cool substance slide down my throat pleasantly, and then shook my head, "Not really, no. I bought a normal tub of chocolate every now and again, but everything else was too pricey."

"Fuck prices," Hidan said casually, scooping his spoon in to the tub, "You fucking shoulda' just stole all that damn shit like we did."

I gave him a withering look, to which he gave me a smirk in reply. We ate a few more scoops of ice cream, before I found myself not wanting any more. We all stood, Deidara and Hidan looking like they had no intention of continuing to sit there to share ice cream by themselves. I moved back into the kitchen, and sat down on the couch between Pein and Kisame. Pein still freaked me out a little, but after hearing that he and Kakuzu were the ones to take care of me after the incident with Mrs. Kane, I warmed up to both him and Kakuzu slightly. They didn't seem as terrifying to me any more.

"Hey, Kitten, taste this," Kisame prodded, handing me a purple tinted glass bottle.

Pein looked up from his newspaper, giving Kisame a look as I took the bottle into my hands. I lifted the mouth piece up to my nose. I sniffed it slightly, and scrunched my nose up distastefully. I looked at Kisame, who bore his sharp teeth at me in a pointed grin. I sighed lightly, and brought the mouth piece to my lips. I tilted my head back, and allowed a small amount of the liquid to drench my tongue.

My face contorted into a disgusted expression, and I quickly handed the bottle back to Kisame, who had thrown his head back in laughter at the face I had made. I coughed violently as the liquid burned its way down my throat, and suddenly I wished I was still eating ice cream with Deidara and Hidan. It was difficult to stomach, and it made my throat, mouth, and stomach warm. I didn't even know what to think about the taste of it, only that it burned.

Pein gave Kisame a distasteful look before turning back to his newspaper.

Kisame gave me a few rough pats on the back to stop my coughing, still laughing. I gave him a look, a few tears built up in my eyes from the burning taste. Finally, I gave a slightly chuckle along with him and wiped the tears with the backs of my hands.

"I'm guessing you don't want any more, huh, Kitten?" Kisame asked, swishing the bottle around as he held it towards me.

I shook my head, scrunching my nose up as the scent of the alcoholic drink wafted my way. I turned away from him, and looked towards the table. Tobi was fiddling with a radio they had stolen, trying to figure out which direction to put the batteries in the back. After the Akatsuki got ahold of my bills a couple of days ago, they stopped plugging as many of the new things they bought. That, however, didn't stop them from going out to get batteries to power them anyway.

"Do you need help Tobi?" I questioned and the masked man shook his head, determined.

It was slightly amusing to me, seeing as Madara Uchiha couldn't get batteries into a radio. Whether he was pretending or not, it was amusing. After a moment of Tobi struggling with radio, he finally thrust the device into my lap from across the coffee table, seeming to be sulking from behind his mask. He put the batteries into my awaiting palm, and started working on putting them in.

I stuck the batteries inside, and turned the radio on. It fizzed to life, catching some of the attention of the Akatsuki around. I surfed for a station, and just as Deidara and Hidan walked in from the living room I found a station. A few notes of a song familiar to me played, before the singer burst into a loud song with lyrics that seemed to _really_ catch the Akatsuki's attention:

_"Ah! Ah! Dude looks like a lady! Ah! Ah! Dude looks like a lady!"_

Everyone froze as they listened to the song, and few people in the room turned to look at Deidara. His eye twitched at the attention as he realized they were connecting the song to him, and Kisame, Hidan, and Tobi burst into loud laughter. Deidara's eye twitched in anger, and he grit his teeth as a furious red color flushed his face. Itachi, Pein, and Sasori smirked darkly at the blond. I couldn't tell with Kakuzu but his eyes were shining slightly as he sat in his corner of money.

I gave Deidara a look of sympathy, holding back a small laugh, feeling a bit embarrassed for the blond. I smiled slightly, looking around at the Akatsuki before I tried to find another radio station for Deidara's sake.

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><p>"What?" I asked, my eyes widening slightly.<p>

Itachi stood in my path out the front door, most of the other Akatsuki asleep. I blinked at him, and he continued to stare at me. I frowned at him, but he showed nothing in return. He merely folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the front door tauntingly. I scowled, and saw a slight smirk tilt his lips.

Blinking slightly, I turned away from him and made my back to the living room. I stepped over Deidara and Kakuzu, and stood in front of Pein. He was laid out on the couch, his arms crossed behind his head. He looked up at me, his normally alert eyes clouded with sleep. He blinked it away, his gray-blue ringed eyes connecting with me own.

"I can't go to school now?" I asked, my voice hushed so that I wouldn't wake up the other Akatsuki.

He ran a hand through his messy hair, before lifting himself fully into a sitting position. He stared up to him, and I noticed some sleep still lingering in his gaze. I blushed slightly as his disheveled appearance, and pushed it down. I couldn't deny that he did look good, and seeing him all ruffled up was kind of cute in its own terrifying way. I pushed those thoughts away instantly.

"If that _school_," He said the word as though he didn't really think of it as a real school, "Was run by a woman such as that then you aren't going back there to find someone else that might hurt you. Also, you wouldn't want to be connected to her sudden death, would you?"

He made a point, and his sleep fogged eyes were making it hard for me too breath. I nodded slightly, looking at the ground. I understood, and in someone way I was relieved that I wouldn't be going back to school, but another part of me would miss the normalcy. I knew that I would have to get used to the abnormalities, however, because the waiting point of a week was almost up. It was almost time for the Akatsuki to once again preform their jutsu, and they were taking me with them.

A hand touched my head, and ruffled my hair slightly. As it left my personal space I looked up in shock, only to see Pein sliding back down into a laying position. His eyes caught mine once more for a second, before he closed them tiredly.

"Go to sleep," He ordered without opening his eyes.

I watched as Itachi entered the room once more and slipped into his own make shift bed on the floor, and felt slightly guilty. I didn't know if they could see the abnormal amount of sleep coloring my face, but after staying up until four in the morning with Akatsuki I hadn't went to sleep like I should've. I pretended I did so that they wouldn't get suspicious, but really I had stayed up all night staring at my ceiling as my mind replayed the whole horrific event in my head over and over again.

I entered my room and changed into more comfortable clothes. I was going to slip back into bed, and stare at the ceiling, but I decided to try something different instead. I pulled my most comfortable, stolen, pillow from my bed, and my comforter. I wrapped my comforter around my shoulders, and dragged both it and my pillow into the living room. I found myself a spot in between Kakuzu and Zetsu, and laid out my bed.

After getting my pillow and blanket situated between them, I lay down and crawled underneath my covers. I placed my head on my pillow and snuggled into my comforter. I slowly, heart beating fast, closed my eyes. I could feel the warmth radiating from the two on either sides of me, comforting me slightly. Slowly, sleep returned to me and I felt my slowly doze off. I was afraid, but I wanted to try it. I wanted to know if the slightest change like this could fight the nightmares away.

When I woke up a few hours later, my mind clear and not a single nightmare haunting me. But, also, when I woke, I found myself curled into the side of one of my sleeping neighbors. I cracked open my eyes, and froze in shock. My head was slightly pressed into the side of the person, also slightly on top of their stomach. I turned my head, and looked up into the face of the person I was curled against.

Zetsu's two different, yet similar golden eyes gazed down at me, the darker side of the two looking slightly clouded and hungry. I squeaked, and pulled myself into a sitting position, looking around, I saw none of the other Akatsuki awake yet. Breathing slightly through my nose, I looked towards Zetsu and quiet apologies gushed form my lips, "I'm so sorry, Zetsu. I didn't know, I was asleep."

"It's alright.** It was very hard to refrain from eating you**," Zetsu's dark side blurted, and he looked angry with himself for a moment, before the two sides tumbled into a self argument like normal.

Sighing happily, I was glad that he wasn't angry with me, before I froze. I realized then that I hadn't had a single nightmare while I slept with two criminals, one a cannibal and one willing to sell a human being for a buck, on either side of me. I shook my head, and wondered what was wrong with me. My minds logic was flying out the window any more these days, but for some reason...

I liked it. No logic, no sense. It made life easier, easier to deal with and to understand.

Smiling to myself, I got up to cook the Akatsuki a real breakfast for the first time. Pancakes, some with chocolate chips or blue berries. I liked this new ability, being able to cook. I hadn't really gotten to cook before, because I had such limited options. But the Akatuski seemed to almost think of everything that I could need to cook with, and I was able to expand my options. I had pulled out an old cook book I had bought when I had purchased my house, and I had started taking recipes of that to cook supper for the Akatsuki. Since I've been at school, I haven't been able to cook breakfast for them since the first time. Now, I could.

I smiled slightly to myself as I thought of the changes going on, and I could help but wonder how things were going to turn out.

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><p>I spent most of the day with the Akatsuki, watching television and just hanging around. I hadn't really been able to hang out with people like this before, and it was refreshing to do something new like this. I hadn't spent a full days just hanging around before, because on the weekends I worked the full day at the cafe. It was one of the first lazy days that I had had in such a long time, and I enjoyed it even more because I had others to share it with, even though they had pretty much settled into a routine of this.<p>

I felt slightly bad for them. They were ninja, they needed activity. Deidara had told me that they were considering this a vacation of sorts, but I knew that some of them were getting restless. I wished that I had higher walls in the backyard and no neighbors, because then they could've done all the training and fighting they wanted in the backyard.

However, things were becoming stressful as the day went into the afternoon. Soon, It was past time for me to go to work, but the Akatsuki wouldn't let me go. I knew that, but it didn't stop me from worrying. My boss didn't like us workers being late even a second, let alone the twenty minutes late that I pushing now. I didn't have a home phone, so I couldn't call him of my resignation, but I couldn't leave to tell him. I was too afraid of his wrath now.

In one corner Tobi was playing with a paddle ball in the corner of the room, having already managing to hit himself in the face quite a few times already. Deidara was making a small clay statue with the remaining clay he hadn't already turned into a small explosion during his stay here. Sasori was tinkering with a puppet he had summoned from a scroll, tweaking with it here in there.

Kisame and Hidan were having a very boisterous drinking contest in the kitchen, their heads thrown back with different colored bottles connected to their lips. Itachi, Pein, and I were on the couch watching the news, and Kakuzu was in his money corner happily counting through it once more.

It was about six-thirty when it happened. There was a loud, heavy knocking on my front door. I blinked in surprise, and straightened up. The Akatuski watched as I stood up and went for the door. Hidan drunkenly stumbled from the kitchen, his eyes clouded and narrowed, and there was a bottle clutched in his fist.

"Who the fuck is making so much damn fucking noise?" He cursed loudly, his words slurring together drunkenly.

I carefully moved around him to get to the hallway, and went for the door. I looked through the peep hole, and sucked in a deep breath. My boss was outside, his tight skinned face pinched slightly and reddened from anger. I feared opening the door, but I knew that I would have to face him sometime before I left.

Slowly, I opened the door, "Hello? Oh, sir, I-"

"Where the hell have you been, Haruno? Your shift started half an hour ago!" He barked, shoving his face towards mine threateningly.

I gasped slightly, leaning back as I remembered the pain of Mrs. Kane's hits and punches, and for a moment I feared my boss like he was some kind of monster. His green eyes narrowed at me, and he took in stitches on my face along with the small cuts. They didn't seem to fill him with any curiosity or sympathy, and he reached forward.

"Any excuses?" He spat, and fisted my collar in his hands.

I gasped as he pulled me off my feet by shirt, and shivered slightly.

"Oi! F-fucker, get your filthy fucking hands off of her!" A snappy voice slurred from the behind, burping once in between the first cuss word.

My boss dropped me onto my feet, which sent a slight bolt of shock up through the bones of my feet and legs. I was pulled back into the house, and Hidan moved me behind him. I peered around his shoulder, clutching the sleeve of his left arm. I didn't want him to kill any one again. I knew it was something I had to deal with, but my first sight of death wasn't that long ago. I didn't know if I could take seeing another dead body so soon.

"What, is this your girlfriend? You might want to start looking for a new piece of meat, because this one's a lousy good for nothing!" My boss barked into Hidan's face, his face slipping into a superior sneer.

I had to admit, that one hurt. I had been late to work once or twice before, either from an after-school-detention or because the weather was against me. But, even though I worked so hard to try and please my boss to keep my paycheck at an average, nothing I did was good enough. Being told to my face that I was good for nothing stung, and I had to look at the floor for a moment to try and push back my tears of frustration.

Hidan scoffed loudly, and his right hand balled into a fist. He swung, and his hand connected with my boss's face. I gasped loudly at the sickening crack that followed, my eyes widening in fear. My boss howled with pain, whirling away from us as blood gushed from his nose like a fountain. He clutched it, his fingers slick with blood, and he started for his car parked in my driveway. I watched him go with an accelerated heartbeat, my lips pursed into a tight line.

My boss swung to face the porch, and bellowed loudly at us, "You're _fired_, Haruno! Fired!"

Hidan raised his fist threateningly, shaking it, and shouted in a loud, drunken tone, "She was going to fucking quit any way, you fucking shit-head!"

My boss's face paled slightly at the sight of Hidan's shaking fist, and retreated into his car. His car screeched as it peeled out of the driveway and sped away at top speed, angry rap music blaring from the open windows.

We watched his car retreat, and I shivered slightly. Hidan felt it, because he still had me pressed against his back. His closed the door, and slowly turned to face me. I pale slightly, blinked at him curiously as I felt slightly cornered. His purple eyes were blank, and slightly clouded. He stared at me for a few moments, making me nervous.

Suddenly, he smirked, and trapped me by putting one hand on the wall next to my head. My eyes widened, and my back hit the wall as he pressed a bit closer.

"Do I fucking get a reward for saving your ass?" Hidan asked, and his face tilted towards me.

My face heated up, a red blush decorating my face. I didn't know whether to be flattered or scared. Hidan was one of the roughest, more loud members of the Akatsuki. I didn't know how this kiss would treat me, and I didn't know if I should except it or not. As his face closed in one mine, and I was about to close my own eyes, I was suddenly tackled.

I was scooped up into frantic arms, and the person ran down the hallway yelling, "Don't worry, Sakura-chan! Tobi will save Sakura-chan from having to kiss yucky Hidan!"

My stomach bubbled happily, and I burst into laughter in Tobi's arms. I could feel him grin down at me from behind his mask, and I felt a slight thrill of excitement as I heard Hidan growl angrily behind us. I could hear his footsteps soon following us, and his loud yelling of, "Tobi, you little shit! Get the _fuck_ back here with Sakura!"

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><p>Today was the day. The jutsu should be able to work today, and we were going. I packed mostly clothing, but not much. I knew that I would have to get new clothes when I went to their world, because my current ones wouldn't fit in. So, I only packed a small rucksack full of clothing and a couple of cook books that the Akatuski had stolen.<p>

"Stand in the center, Sakura," Pein instructed, as he began to re-draw the kanji symbols on my carpet.

I frowned distastefully at my poor carpet, but stood in the center like I had once before. Pein continued until he finished up his drawings and filled his place in the circle. I looked around at the Akatsuki. Deidara smiled at me slightly, and Kisame gave me a thumbs up before all the Akatsuki closed their eyes and began to preform their hand signs at top speed.

Trying to catch a hand sign, I couldn't force my eyes to focus correctly on their fast pace. Suddenly, the air got tense. Everything became thicker, and it was suddenly much harder to breath as a certain feeling of humidity entered the atmosphere. My heartbeat increased frantically, but it wasn't of my own doing. I wasn't scared, but it suddenly seemed as though every organ in my body was going on overdrive. My lungs frantically took in air, even though it was much thicker.

My eyes closed tightly, and suddenly I could feel my own veins. I could feel the blood rushing through my body, flowing through their passageways to get recycled through my body. I could almost feel everything inside my body functioning, my heart pumping, my bones moving when I moved, and lungs expanding with each breath. Everything was suddenly hyper sensitive, and I didn't know what to think of it.

There was a sudden ripping noise, which made me snap open my eyes. I looked down, my eyes wide, as a portal ripped through the carpet and connected two worlds together. I began to fall through, and screamed loudly with my arms flailing around. A sudden body connected with mine, wrapping me into their arms securely. I looked up, and saw that I was in the arms of Itachi, who was looking down into the portal as we all fell through.

Darkness covered my vision, and I couldn't even see Itachi's arms around me. I couldn't see myself, or anything. But, I knew Itachi was there. I could feel his arms tense around me in the darkness, and knew that he was on alert. We floated for a moment, when there was a sudden gravity upon us. We fell heavily, and my body felt terrible.

I felt sick, like my stomach was trying to eat its self. My very core ached with a blistering hot pain, a burning so intense tears leaked from my eyes. Suddenly, there was a flash of light an a intense feeling of falling. My eyes snapped open despite the pain, and a short scream ripped through my throat as I saw the ground of a forest approaching steadily fast. I clung to Itachi, who smooth angled his body. The ground kept getting larger and closer as we plummeted. When the ground came fast Itachi landed directly on his feet.

I could feel the impact vibrate through his body, and I heard the other Akatsuki land around us. I didn't get to see anything else of the new world I was in, when my chest suddenly felt as though it had been ripped open by a monster. I screamed, writhing in Itachi's grasp in an attempt to escape the pain. An intense flame ignited through my veins. The fire was so intense, I thought that I could feel my blood boiling, all around me.

My mind shut down, and I blacked out as I was swallowed entirely by the intense fire around me.

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><p><strong>Piper: Done! I hope you guys like this chapter, I added more AkaSaku fluff.**

**The song on the radio was "Dude Looks Like a Lady", by Aerosmith**

**Please review and tell me what you think!**


	7. Rebirth

**Piper: Hiya! XD I love you guys! Your reviews make me smile a lot, and I hope you like the chapter.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p><span>Chapter 7 - Rebirth<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

The darkness was like a nightmare. An opponent you couldn't see, that you couldn't face. It was like I was in the belly of the beast and the acids of his stomach were eating away at every inch of my skin, my being, and my soul. Everything stung and burned, my skin, my bones, my nerves, my everything. It felt like my skin had been ripped away in layers, and suddenly dumped into a bleach solution. It was like the feeling you get when you had to rub alcohol onto an open wound, only intensified to that of a raging forest fire.

After what seemed like days in the acidic pain, did it begin to reduce its intensity. Agonizingly slow, it began to retreat. It left from my the tips of my fingers and toes, before the pain began to crawl up my arms and legs like millions of little spiders dancing across my skin. It felt like I had been reborn, the new ability to flex my fingers and toes much more defined and clean then before.

It took minutes, maybe even hours, before the pain completely left my arms and legs completely. I could barely move them. They were too heavy and weak from the pain, and it felt like I had ran a hundred mile marathon while lifting two three hundred pound weights along the way. The rest of my body felt the same as the pain slowly retreated around my stomach and chest. It retreated from my head, leaving my in a tired fog, and the pain lingered around chest, where my heart lay. Finally, it extinguished.

I could feel something warm far off. It was big, but I could only feel the edges of it. But, it wasn't just one signature of warmth. I could feel multiple sources all around me. They were too far off, and I wanted to be close to one. Something inside of me reached out to find the warmest source. I felt it pass the out signatures, and there was a tingle on my spine. I full out shivered when it connected with the largest signature. It felt so warm, and my own signature began to warm.

My eyes fluttered open, but I couldn't see very well. It was dark, and sleep was still tugged at my mind. I sluggishly maneuvered out of the bed I lay upon. My movements were slow and sluggish, and moving just one limb felt like it was attached to train I had to pull. Something soft was draped across my shoulders as I stood, and I wrapped my fingers around the edges of it. I pulled it closer to me, snuggling into it.

I stayed like that for a moment, standing motionless with my eyes closed as I reveled in the softness wrapped around me. The signature called to me once more, and my eyes opened halfway. I trudged forward, and softly met with a wall in my way. Frowning, I felt around for a knob. When I found it, I twisted it open and let myself out.

Keeping on hand on a wall at all time, I started moving towards the large signature. It took me a moment, but with each step I found the signature much closer. It was almost intimidating, but in my groggy state of mind that fact was ignored. All I wanted was to be near it. My body was searching comfort, and there was a warmth all around.

My hand hit a door knob. It had hit many before, but this one was different. Behind this one the signature was resting, large and powerful. I twisted the knob open, half awake. I moved around carefully, searching for the signature with my own. Suddenly, my leg collided with something. I hissed as an intense pain throbbed through my big toe and knees, which seemed to have collided with a desk.

I moved around the desk carefully, and continued to try and find the signature.

**Pein**

My eyes snapped open. There had been a bang and a sudden hiss coming from my office room. My eyes narrowed in the darkness, and I felt around with my chakra. I found the fresh, new chakra of the girl we had brought back to our world with us, her own chakra moving around inside my office as if she were searching for something. Her own chakra was feeling around shyly, as if she didn't know what to do with it exactly.

I sat up in my bed swiftly, and pulled the covers away from my bare upper body. I moved my feet to the floor, and stood. I straightened out my baggy pants, as they had bunched up during sleep. I scratched my head slightly, stretching my neck around to try and disperse some of the sleep from my being. Since this was obviously no threat, I took my time before I finally stood and head for the door. It was time to see what that girl was doing inside my office.

Just as I reached for the knob, the door opened slowly. I stared down at the girl before me, and found myself amused. Her shoulder length pink hair was sticking up in different angles, looking fluffy instead of its normal straight nature. Her eyes were dark, and half-lidded. It was obvious she was half-asleep. She stared straight ahead of her as if she were looking right through me, the blanket around her shoulders sagging lightly as her grip loosened.

"Sakura," I prodded sternly, but her eyes didn't snap awake with light like I was expecting.

Instead, her eyes slowly drooped closed and she swayed forward. She fell face first into my chest, and seemed to almost instantly fall asleep leaning against me. I stared down at her, eyes narrowed slightly. I placed my hands on her shoulders, prepared to shake her awake, but something inside me protested. I stood a for a few moments, and couldn't help but notice how smooth the skin on her shoulders were. The tank top one of the maids had changed her into exposed her shoulders and arms, and when I looked close enough I could see faint, small scars here and there.

Probably from the wench Hidan took care of back in the other world. The thought of that beast made my mouth taste sour, and my hands clenched around Sakura's shoulders. That woman would never harm her ever again, we most definitely made sure of that.

Sighing, I decided against shaking her awake. I looped one arm around her shoulders, and bent down to loop the other around the bend of her knees. Her sleeping body picked up easily, feeling light as a feather in my grasp. I turned towards my bed, and looked down at the girl in my arms. Her cheek was pressed against the skin above my heart, snuggled slightly. She breath out slowly, almost as if a sigh of relief.

I snapped back and I walked towards my bed. I cradled her into one arm so that I could pull the covers back properly, before I set her down with her own covers. I pulled my own over her, and she snuggled into the plush bed unconsciously. I sighed, before moving around the bed to the other side. I pulled back the covers on that side and let myself slide underneath them. I looked at the sleeping girl next to me for a few moments, before I closed my eyes.

It took a few moments for sleep to come back to me, and just as it did I felt something slowly cuddle up to my chest. I sighed in slight exasperation, feeling the small girl tuck her head underneath my chin. I played with the though of lightly pushing her back to her side of the bed, but found myself getting used to the extra warmth. I sighed again, and threw an arm over her middle before I let sleep take me.

If there was any consequences for this, I could deal with it in the morning.

**Sakura Haruno**

I breathed in through my nose as sleep began to wash away from me, and I snuggled into my covers. My face was pressed against something smooth, yet hard. I scrunched my face up, trying to figure out what was going on as my body slowly awoke. It took me a second to realize that there was something hanging around my waist. My mind flashed in alert, and I slowly pulled away from my pillow.

Grey, ringed eyes stared down at me face, and I felt my heart stop. I was laying halfway on top of the Akatsuki leader, using him partly as a pillow and he had an arm around my waist. My face turned pale for a few moments, before a rose blush began to bloom across my face. It started out rosy, but as the realization of what was going on hit me, I felt more like a tomato as the seconds ticked by.

Pein raised an eyebrow at my blushing face, before a smirk spread across his lips and he said in a slightly smug tone, "Good morning, Sakura."

I shrieked, and pulled myself out of his grasp. I tried to crawl away, but ended up falling off of the bed and onto the hardwood floor. I groaned at the impact, feeling a jolt of pain tingle up my tail bone. I rubbed my sore back side, scrunching my face up in pain. Pein stood from the bed and moved around it to my side. He held out a hand, which I stared at.

Suspicious, I slowly moved my hand upwards and placed it in his. He pulled me to my feet swiftly, so quick that I almost stumbled. He placed a hand on my shoulder, and it was then I noticed that he wasn't wearing a shirt. It only made the situation worse, and I felt another blush crawling onto my face. I quickly straightened myself up, and pushed back the coloring in my face.

"During the night your chakra must've fully awakened. It was guiding you while you were sleep walking, and you made your way halfway across the base. I found you stumbling around in my office. When I confronted you, you fell asleep on me," Pein finally explained to me, making me blush once more.

Apologies spewed out of my mouth in a panic, as I realized that most of this was my fault.

Pein opened his mouth to speak, when suddenly the door to the bedroom opened up. I turned around, and saw Tobi standing in the doorway of the room. He stood there for a few moments, seemingly stunned, before he shrieked, "_Leader_-sama, how _could_ Leader-sama take advantage of poor Sakura-chan like this!"

The Leader tried to defend himself, but before he could get a word out Tobi swooped into the room and swept me off my feet and into his arms. He stared at Pein hard, almost as if trying to smother the life out of him with his masked stare. Then, he turned from the room and fled, holding me tightly in his grasp.

"Tobi is so _sorry_ for you Sakura-chan! Tobi can't believe that Leader-sama would do that to Sakura-chan," Tobi purred, rubbing his masked face against mine as he ran down the halls.

I blinked up at him, "Tobi, really, it was all a-"

"Tobi! What the hell are you doing, yeah! Stop!" The familiar voice of Deidara yelled, sounding as though it were getting closer with every stride Tobi took.

The next thing I knew, we collided with Deidara. I flew out of Tobi's arms and to the floor, landing directly on top of Deidara's chest. I grunted as Tobi fell onto my back, and my face was squished into Deidara's neck. I groaned in pain, and tried to move but found it quiet impossible because Tobi seemed to weigh a lot more then me.

I lifted my head, and looked down at Deidara. He looked at me, his single blue eye wide, and there was a tinge of pink blooming across his cheeks. I felt his hands on my hips, and I blushed a darker shade then him. I wriggled slightly, moving off of him. Tobi suddenly sprung to his feet, and pulled me up.

"First Leader-sama and now Deidara-senpai! Tobi thinks that the Akatsuki are big perverts!" Tobi hollered in an abhorrent tone, pulling me against his chest protectively.

The blush on Deidara's face darkened to a angry shade of crimson, and he was up off the floor and on his feet in a flash. He pulled Tobi away from me, and punched him in the face. Tobi flew down the hallway with a shriek, Deidara running after him to beat him even more. I watched as they got further away, a blank look on my face.

"Brats," A voice muttered near me, and I turned around quickly.

Sasori was staring down the hallway, a hint of hate in his caramel colored eyes, before he turned to face me, "I'm guessing you will be needing someone to show you where your room is?"

I blinked at him once, before nodding slowly, "If that's okay with you, Sasori."

He motioned for me to follow him, and lead me down a different hallway from the one Deidara was punching Tobi down. I looked around curiously as we passed a few doors, and continued to follow Sasori.

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><p>My room wasn't that big, but compared to the size of my old room, it was magical. It was nice, clean, and had its very own bathroom attached to it. When I had opened the closet, it was bare except for my old world clothes, but Sasori had told me that one of the Akatsuki would be taking me into a near by village to fill it up with some ninja gear.<p>

I opened the door to bathroom, and almost choked. This bathroom was a big change from the old bathroom that I used to stub my toe in everyday of my life. This one actually had room and space, but it honestly wasn't that big. It was just a big change to actually have so much walking room inside a bathroom for me. The shower and bathtub were separate, the tub was a square fitting into one of the corners. The hygienic materials I had brought with me to this world had been stocked into the shelves, which were hanging on the wall in a wooden carried next the mirror.

Pulling out the bottles of soap, shampoo, and conditioner I wanted to use, I placed them into the shower before turning the water on. I opened on of the drawers below the sink, like Sasori had instructed, and found one full of wash clothes and towels. I pulled one of each out and placed the towel on the hook near the shower before I dropped my clothes and entered the shower.

The water stayed hot longer then my old shower, which was another nice turn. It kind of felt like I was being pampered by these guys, but I didn't know what to do about it. It wasn't that it wasn't nice, but I wasn't raised like this. I raised my self. I was used to doing things for myself, and not having other people do it and get it for me. I was used to almost making it by, and it was odd having the weight of bills and trying to achieve in academics at the same time.

I changed into a pair of baggy black jeans and a black 'Akatsuki' graphic t-shirt. They thought it was amusing, I guess, when they were stealing things from the mall and found a shirt with them on it. I slipped on some lime green heel socks and looked into the mirror. My hair was getting longer, passed my shoulders by a couple of inches. I didn't like how long it was getting. I tucked my my hair behind my ear on one side, and frowned slightly.

Sighing, I moved out of the bathroom and into my room. I stumbled slightly, not expect to see Kakuzu standing in my room. He looked a bit distracted, counting through a handful of bills. I stared at him oddly, before I cleared my throat slightly. He looked up from his hand, and straightened up. He pocketed the money into the his Akatsuki cloak, and held out something.

I blinked when I saw that it was my own Akatsuki cloak. I slowly tried it on, and noted that it was slimmer then the rest of the Akatsukis' cloaks. It fit my more, and it was easy to tell that I was girl, even if my face and hair color was hidden. I smiled at Kakuzu, but noted that he seemed to be looking grim about something.

"Leader-sama says that I must take you out to go shopping for clothing and other necessities," Kakuzu informed me.

Suddenly realizing why he looked so grim, I smiled at him reassuringly. He didn't seem to buy it, and still looked unhappy about having to spend money. I frowned as he turned to leave the room, and looked at the floor as I followed after him. I didn't want to be a burden. As we left the room, we came face-to-face with a certain silver haired, purple eyed, sailor mouthed Jashinist.

Hidan gave us a feral grin, and spouted loudly, "You didn't fucking think you could leave without fucking taking me, did you?"

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><p>We traveled through the base and made it to the entrance. Hidan and Kakuzu dispelled some sort of jutsu with face paced hands, we were exposed to a rainy outside world. Water poured down from the sky, hitting the trees of the forest around us loudly. Kakuzu and Hidan put on their hats, and I pulled up the hoodie I had decided to grab before I left. I was wearing it underneath the cloak, the cloak hiding my odd clothes from view.<p>

They turned towards me, making me raise and eyebrow.

"Since you are not a fast runner yet, one of us will carry you," Kakuzu said, seeming to give Hidan a pointed stare.

"Fuck that, you fucking carry her!" Hidan spat at him, obviously angry that his team mate was implying that he do it.

Kakuzu continued to stare him down. Hidan cursed underneath his breath, and turned away from us and knelt down on one knee. I walked over to him and got onto his back. His arms looped around my legs just as I wrapped my arms around his neck securely. He stood up completely, and the two of them were suddenly bounding through the trees at a fast rate.

I gasped, and pressed my face into the back of Hidan's shoulder. The wind made the rain beat against my face, and they were going so fast that I could feel my skin of my face pull back. I tightened my hood with one hand before it snapped back around Hidan's neck. I didn't want to fall off, especially not at this kind of speed. I knew that it always looked like they were fast on the anime, but this speed was ridiculous. Screw traveling by a vehicle, if people in our world could travel this fast the planet would be much healthier.

We traveled for at least a full fifteen minute, me occasionally looking over Hidan's shoulder to look into the dense forest. Finally, I peeked once over his shoulder to see the silhouette of a village in a break through the trees. Curiosity welled up inside me, and I was excited to see my first ever ninja village.

Hidan placed me on my feet once we were directly outside the gates. I followed them towards it, and noticed the flash of fear that crossed the gate guard's face when he glanced at our cloaks. He hurriedly had the gates opened, and bowed low to the ground as we passed. I frowned slightly at the treatment, and moved and bit closer to the two men I was traveling with.

I glanced around excitedly, watching villagers walk passed as though the rain was nothing to them. They must've been used to such a pour, I was guessing. I watched as we passed shopping stands and stores, the stands' goods protected from the rain by umbrellas and awnings. We walked down the cobblestone streets until we suddenly stopped in front of a ninja clothing store.

Hidan and Kakuzu walked in, and Kakuzu motioned to the kunoichi side, saying out loud, "Pick out your... _wardrobe_."

Kakuzu most definitely wasn't happy with paying for this, and I felt like a burden once more. Hidan must've noticed the shift of my demeanor, and leaned forward to whisper in my ear, "Don't fucking listen to the bastard, he's a damn scrooge. Buy all the shit you want."

I laughed slightly, and I felt better. I watched as Kakuzu went up to the cashier, and kept an eye one them as I started to browse through the clothing. I picked out things that I liked or caught my eyes, and panicked when I saw Kakuzu suddenly take the cashier by the collar. He pulled their faces close, and seemed to hiss something at the man. The cashier nodded wildly, and Kakuzu set him back on his feet.

The three seemed to notice me staring at them, and when they all turned their gazes to me I instantly went back to picking out clothing and outfits for my new life as a ninja. When I was done, I asked the man if there was a dressing room. He shakily pointed towards the back, and I quickly headed for it. I didn't want to take too much time, because both Hidan and Kakuzu didn't seem like the type to want to wait on a shopping girl. I didn't even want to think about the fact that I had to buy products for when mother nature visited.

When I was finished and the clothing was bought (Kakuzu seemed to pay a rather small amount for the new wardrobe I had bought), we left the store. Kakuzu stored my clothing into a scroll that he had inside he cloak, which made me wander about the insides of the male version of the cloaks. Mine obviously wouldn't store much because it was much fitting, but the male cloaks seemed to carry a black hole inside.

We started to back track towards the entrance and stopped at a store where I could by more hygiene supples. Hidan and Kakuzu stayed outside of the store, thankfully, and let me do my personal shopping in privacy. I was thankful for that, but I was sure that they weren't doing it for me but for themselves.

After that was all done and the items I bought were sealed away in a scroll, we headed for the exit to the village. When we were getting close to the exit, I couldn't help but stop and stare as we walked by a beauty shop. 'Beauty Shop' wasn't the right term for it, because it looked slightly grungy in a way. It wasn't the state of the building that caught my attention, it was the advertisement for hair cuts, piercings, and tattoo.

"Oi! What're you-" Hidan stopped cursing as he and Kakuzu made their way back to me.

Kakuzu looked at the store, and then back at me, before he sighed slightly. He pushed me towards it, and I blinked at him in shock.

"Go ahead. I'm sure I'll be able to get a good deal out of this guy," He said, and there was a mischievous glint in his eyes as he stared at the store as though it were a challenge.

I smiled slightly in thanks, and looked at the store, which seemed to open new choices for me.

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><p><strong>Piper: Ah! I'm done! Sorry it's shorter then the others.<strong>

**Please review!**


	8. Crumble

**Piper: XD Hi guys! I want to thank all of those who reviewed. And those who favorited!**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p><span>Chapter 8 - Crumble<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

When we entered the store, I was practically blasted with a stench a mixture of cigarettes and perfume. I coughed slightly, Hidan doing the same not a second after he entered. He muttered a few curses through his cough, before he straightened up and observed the place. Kakuzu had ignored the strong smell, and was already making his own observations of the store. I looked away from them and looked along with them, and my eyes landed on a teenage boy.

He was tall, and very lean. He had a young appearance to him, and he only looked a bit older then me. His skin was deathly pale, almost as pale as my own. It didn't seem to fit him very well, because the paleness of his skin made the dark rings around his eyes stand out much more. I couldn't see the color of his eyes from the far distance, but I was more focused on his style. His hair was cut and spiked into a large, ebony black Mohawk that slowly faded into a ruby red at the tips. He had piercings all over his face, and they seemed much more different then Pein's. He had a hoop ring piercing the middle of his nose, snake bites, and one eyebrow piercing. His ears were pierced so many times I had a hard time deciphering which was which.

The boy looked up at the sound of our entrance, and it was then I noticed the cancer stick hanging from his lips. He took his longest intake I had ever seen, the cigarette shrinking with each second. He finally released, a large cloud of smoke filling the air around his head. It slowly drifted away, dancing in the air. He placed his cigarette into the near by ash-tray, and stood.

Hidan shifted a little closer to me, and I looked at him over my shoulder. His eyes were narrowed distastefully at the boy's approaching figure. I frowned slightly, before turning back towards the teen.

"My name is Takashi, how can I help you?" He asked blandly, his tone clearly stating that he really didn't care about how he could help us.

When Takashi got closer, his eyes suddenly met mine. I noticed that they were green, but I didn't care much about that. What I noticed more was how they widened slightly, and his eyes began to trail downwards. I blinked in shock, and shied away from his gaze. I was thankful for the cloak, but since it was slimmer he still got a good guess of how I was shaped underneath the layer of clothes. He seemed to grow interested, which unnerved me.

Hidan saw this and growled underneath his breath, shifting his body so that he blocked me from the boy's view.

"You could keep your eyes to yourself, boy," Kakuzu snapped coldly, and Takashi's eyes snapped to him in shock. It was like he hadn't noticed the two large men that I had walked in with.

"U-Uh, I-," He stuttered furiously, seemingly embarrassed by getting caught staring.

"Do what ever she asks you to do, and don't mess up or it's on your head," Kakuzu said gruffly, and pulled me from behind Hidan and nudged me towards the boy.

Takashi nodded his head rapidly, and faced me, "Wh-What did you want done?"

I thought for a moment, before I replied, "I want to get my hair cut."

He nodded once more and gestured towards one of the many chairs they had set out. I sat down and he went back to the counter he had been sitting at before. He dug around in the drawers for a few moments, before he pulled out a bag made of cloth. He unzipped it and moved his way back towards me. He seemed very alert of Hidan and Kakuzu, who were watching him carefully from the front of the store.

"Okay, so how did you want your hair?" He asked, pulling some scissors from the bag.

I looked at myself in the mirror, and tried to see what exactly would look best. Finally, I decided and told him of my choice. He got to work, his attitude suddenly switched from scared to professional. I watched as different lengths of pink locks fell away from my face. Takashi carefully combed through it occasionally, sometimes ruffling it so that it would pose. Occasionally he would ask me what else he should cut, and I would point out a piece or two. Finally, after a few minutes of styling and cutting I stopped him.

My hair before had been a straight cut at my shoulders. Now, the longer pieces of it reached my neck and collar bone only. It had been cut and layered, but heavily so. The layers were practically visible, because the shorter they got the more the seemed to be ruffled up and styled. It was a ruffled appearance, some pieces slightly sticking up. It was the ultimate layered hair style I had ever seen and I loved it. It was a change, a good change. The bangs were parted so that they layers of bang shadowed over the right side of my face, hiding my right eye from view sometimes. I liked it.

I turned towards Hidan and Kakuzu, and prodded, "How does it look now?"

Kakuzu nodded at me and Hidan gave my hair a good once-over before bluntly stated, "Hot."

His comment colored my cheeks a rose-red, and I turned away from them quickly. I looked back towards Takakshi, and blinked at him. He face bloomed into a patch of red, and he suddenly walked away from me. He moved towards the tissue box on the counter and plucked a few from it, holding them to his nose. I watched as some red seeped through the tissue, and blinked once more.

Had I given him a nosebleed?

I shook my head. There was no way. He was probably one of those people that got chronic nosebleeds, I told myself the safety of my mind. But, I couldn't help but notice the intense hatred leaking off of Hidan and Kakuzu from their side of the room. It seemed to reach Takashi, too, because he was looking much more pale then before. He seemed to get over his nosebleed after a bit, and he cleaned the blood from his nose before coming back my way.

"Was there- uh, anything else that you wanted done?" Takashi asked sheepishly, averting his eyes from the two Akatsuki members across the room.

I knew what I wanted done, but I couldn't do it for two reasons. I didn't want Kakuzu to have to pay more money then he already had, and I couldn't get it all done at once due to the risk of infections. I felt bad for getting the haircut and making Kakuzu pay his money that he loved so much, and I looked at my lap. I thought for a moment on what I should do, before I looked at Takashi.

"Do you sell earrings?" I asked, avoiding the odd look I got from Hidan.

I have never had my ears pierced before. I didn't know anyone who could do it for me, I couldn't do it myself, and I didn't want to waste money to get it professionally done just so that I would have to waste more to buy earrings. But this hair cut, this change, made me feel better about myself. In my mind, I was a freak. A pink haired freak. I had the hardest time feeling pretty, or conisdered myself good looking. It was so easy for me to pick out my own faults, and so hard for me to find something I liked about myself.

Takashi nodded and moved towards me. He removed the hair cutting tarp he hard thrown over me, and I stood. He motioned for me to follow him towards a display case. He moved around to the other side, while I perched myself on the other side. I looked through the selection, and pointed to a pair of black studs.

"How much are those?" I asked.

He opened his mouth, before his eyes suddenly went wide at something behind me. Takashi stared at it for a few moments, horror growing inside his eyes. The fear glistened in his eyes, and his skin turned much more pale. He finally spoke and sputtered out, "F-Free! Everything, everything's free. Pick out what you want! The hair cut, everything, free!"

I looked over my shoulder suspiciously, and Kakuzu and Hidan stood still at the other side of the room. Neither of the two would look me in the eyes, and I had high suspicions that they were making threatening gestures at the boy while my back was turned away. Even though I should be appalled by their actions, I couldn't stop the amused smirk that tilted my lips.

"I'll take four pairs of those, since you're being so generous," I replied, laughter bubbling inside my chest.

Takashi quickly removed the requested earrings from the case and thrust the cardboard holders into my hands. I fumbled with them slightly, before I turned and rushed towards Hidan and Kakuzu. They followed me closely as I burst out of the store, and watched as I burst into a fit of giggles.

"I can't believe you guys freaked him out so bad," I said, laughing happily.

"Don't fucking know what you're talking about," Hidan replied casually, his lips twisting in a mischievous smirk.

We started to walk back towards the entrance of the village once more, my laughter slowly fizzing out.

"What I would like to know is why you got those earrings," Kakuzu stated, "Especially when you don't have pierced ears."

I smiled.

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><p>"Alright," Pein said, walking back towards where I sat on top of the counter.<p>

I looked at Deidara nervously, who stood next me near the counter. He gave me a reassuring smile, and placed his hand on my shoulder. It gave me a bit more comfort, but it didn't make me any less nervous. I couldn't fathom what had compelled me to do this. It was like taking a shot glass full of liquid courage. It only lasted for so long, and now my courage was gone. I didn't want to chicken out of this, however. I wanted this done, but that didn't make it any less terrifying.

"Is now a bad time to mention that I hate needles?" I commented weakly as Pen approached, causing a round of smirks to cross every face in the room.

Pein continued to close the distance between us, his fingers pinched around the end of a needle. He shook his head at my statement, and motioned for someone to help him. Sasori reached forward, and held my newly cut hair away from my right ear. I felt his breath his my neck, and I shivered slightly. He smirked slightly, seeming to notice. I blushed heavily, and focused on the little needle making its way towards my ear. I swallowed uncomfortably, and tried to twist away like a small child about to be punished.

Sasori held me in place gently, and spoke, "Don't move, or he'll miss."

Pein seemed to stare at Sasori for a moment, almost seeming as though he was slightly offended that anyone actually thought he, a skilled ninja, would miss. After he thought his glare had gotten his point across, he removed his gaze from the puppet man and began to advance upon my poor, innocent ear once more.

"Wait, wait," Kisame stated, "We forgot to mark the spots that she wanted."

I was beginning to think that letting the Akatsuki pierce my ears was a very bad choice on my part.

Itachi sat up from his chair on the other side of the counter, and picked up the hand-held mirror we had been using. I took the mirror from his hands, and Deidara uncapped the thin point marker they had neglected. I used to the mirror to watch where he marked, once at the bottom and once at the top of each ear. I wanted more done then that, but I would have to wait for these to heal up before I could continue. There was less a chance of receiving an infection this way.

"You do fucking realize that your ears are fucking going to hurt like hell when this is done?" Hidan said casually from his seat at the dining table, a few feet away from the counter.

I blinked at him, as if silently asking why in the world he would tell me this just as it was about to be done.

His comment made Kakuzu sigh heavily from his work. He didn't removed his eyes from his work as he lifted a hand to crack Hidan over the head.

"Don't tell her that," He scolded his fellow immortal, shifting through a pile of papers he had brought in with him.

"I'm fucking telling the damn truth!" Hidan defended himself, rubbing the spot in which he had been hit.

Sasori sighed from his spot next to me, and spoke in a bored tone, "It's not going to hurt, it's just going to be sore. There's a big different. Hurt is a pain, a sore is an annoyance. They're just going to throb, and you will probably have to sleep straight on your back for a long while. Sleeping on the side of your head after this is bound to irritate them."

I nodded, before I was suddenly aware that Pein was approaching once more with the needle. Sasori pushed my hair back once again, and Pein lifted his free hand to my ear. He took it between two of his fingers, and I felt some of his chakra begin to ooze into my body. At first it was a slightly cool feeling, before it began to fade into a comforting warmth on my ear. I felt the sense and feeling in my ear begin to drift away, and suddenly I couldn't feel his fingers on me any more.

"Better?" He questioned, not taking his eyes off his work as he moved his hand with the needle to my ear.

"Yeah," I commented, feeling my body slowly relax at the touch of his chakra.

He pulled his hand away, and Itachi handed him an earring. He took the earring in one hand and the back to it in the other, before he moved forward once more. I could very faintly feel tugging on my ear as he put the earring through the newly made hole. I heard the faint click as he latched the back on, and watched as he grabbed the needle once more.

I looked away as I felt a slight pressure at the top of my ear, and asked, "Where are Zetsu and Tobi?"

"We had Zetsu take Tobi away so that he wouldn't fuck anything up, yeah," Deidara commented from next to me, giving my shoulder another squeeze as I began to look queasy about the needles presence once more.

Watching as Pein began to stick in the second earring, I heard Deidara mutter underneath his breath, "We had a hard enough time getting him to let go of you after he saw your haircut, yeah."

I laughed lightly, but quickly silenced myself so that I wouldn't make anything difficult for Pein. Tobi had ultimately freaked out once Hidan, Kakuzu, and I had gotten back from shopping. He had eagerly greeted us at the door before making sure I got my bags out of the scrolls Hidan and Kakuzu sealed them in, and then picked me up and had run me all the way back to my room. Hidan didn't seem to like that, because he had followed us, cursing at Tobi the whole way. It had been funny until Deidara joined in and there were explosions. After Tobi and I had hid in my room for a bit, I asked him to take me to Pein so that I could ask if he would pierce my ears. He had been in the part kitchen, part living room at the time, along with the other Akatsuki.

"I like the new hair cut, by the way, yeah," Deidara compliment, "Very artistic."

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Sasori scoff, before he leaned closer to me so that he could hold my hair back on the other side of my head, "I'm surprised, brat. Normally you can't see true beauty."

I blinked once, unable to tell if that was a compliment or not. The two tumbled into an argument, and my thoughts got distracted from that as I felt Pein's chakra come in from the other side of my head, numbing my other ear before he got to work on it. It was slightly hard for me to hear, the numbing chakra going a little too far into my head. I commented on that, and Pein drew some of his chakra back slightly.

Finally, he completely pulled away and backed up slightly. He took my chin into his palm, and started to move my head from side-to-side, assessing his own work. I blinked, feeling a light blush dusting my cheeks at his touch. Finally, he seemed satisfied and let go. He nodded to me once, and I reached for the mirror.

Itachi handed it to me, out fingers brushing slightly in the exchange. I blushed a bit heavier, and quickly averted my eyes to the mirror. I checked out both sides, and smiled approvingly. I liked where they were and how they ended up looking, even though my ears were slightly red. I knew I would begin to feel the effects once Pein's chakra wore off.

"Thanks, guys," I acknowledged, giving each of them a small smile.

Pein nodded, before looking at Deidara, "Go tell Zetsu that he and Tobi can come back now."

Deidara groaned out, "Do we have to let him come back, yeah?" Before he began to make his way towards the door.

I laughed at his response, and hopped off of the counter. I walked around the island and went for the fridge, telling them that I would start to work on lunch. It would be a late lunch because it was already going on three, but I could tell that the guys were hungry. I don't think any of them had eaten breakfast, and it wasn't like we couldn't have a late supper. These guys seemed to have no internal clocks what-so-ever, and slept whenever they wanted to and woke when they wanted to. After living with them for a week in my world, I was easily getting used to the life style myself.

I made grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, because, to be honest, the Akatsuki hardly had anything inside their fridge. They had more simple foods that could easily be slapped together, because it seemed that most of them either didn't like cooking, or couldn't. They seemed to have lived off eating simple things mostly, which I would have to change. They couldn't be getting the proper foods their bodies needed eating the way they did, and I worried about it.

"Sakura-chaaaann!" Tobi squealed, bursting into the kitchen in a rush.

I gasped as he scooped me into his arms, twirling around our bodies around happily. Deidara instantly swooped in to rescue, punching Tobi right in the back of the noggin before taking me into his own arms. In my mind I wondered how Deidara would react if he found out that it was Madara Uchiha that he was abusing everyday.

Deidara placed me back in front of the skillet, and I rescued a grilled ham and cheese from burning on one side in just the nick of time. As I flipped it onto the growing stack of sandwiches and started cooking a new one, I could hear Tobi's pleas and Deidara's growling in the background.

I smiled humorously at the normalcy of the noise, and continued cooking until I had a good amount of sandwiches. These guys had the appetites of animals, and my guess was that they would at least have two or three sandwiches each. Deidara, once he was done beating Tobi into the ground, help me set the table before I brought the sandwiches to the center.

I grabbed myself a seat between Itachi and the end of the table and a sandwich quickly, before the boys all jumped in.

"Zetsu, I laid out some of that packaged meat you had wrapped up in the freezer," I said nervously, wandering it this meat were speaking about was packaged human meat. All I knew was that it was wrapped meat and it had Zetsu's name written on it. I had washed my hands a good couple of times after handling it.

Zetsu nodded at me gratefully, and spotted the plate on the counter. He picked up his own plate, and I averted my eyes as he, too, began to eat.

My ears began to throb some times during my meal, making me feel a bit sick to my stomach. I continued to eat, because I knew I hadn't eaten in quiet some time. It was, however, like Sasori had said. It wasn't really painful, it was more of an irritation then anything. It didn't stop it from hurting a bit, but eventually I got used to the slight pulsing in my ears.

After lunch, the guys got into a card game. I watched, mostly because I didn't know how to play any card games, and because I had seen these guys get competitive before. It was quiet scary, watching a bunch a dangerous criminals get competitive. Even the stoic, silent members seemed to have their own edge when involved in a competition. My guess was that none of them liked loosing in the least.

I was having fun watching them all, and Itachi was letting me look at his cards as long as I kept an impassive face. I was good at it, but it was hard to contain my giggles every time I realized Itachi was going to win. Observing the game had giving me the gist of the game, but I still didn't want to participate. I was enjoying being a side-kick. I got to help, but I didn't suffer the effects of loosing, as they seemed to be playing for money.

Some time into the game, about an hour or two later, I heard a familiar grumbling coming from above.

My eyes widened, and I sat up straighter. There was another long, drawn out grumble, and a shiver crawled up my spine like a frightened cat. I slowly quiet breath, and my lungs screamed for air. I took a breath in through my nose, and shivered violently when the grumbling got louder. None of the Akatsuki seemed to notice yet, and I tried to push away the fear rising up inside of me.

A growl, much louder this time, roared in the sky above the base. It was so loud, so powerful, that it made the base vibrate with along with its noise. Tears began to build up so I shut my eyes tightly, and fought back the shriek of fear that threatened to escape me. I slowly wrapped my arms around myself, trying to make myself as small as possible. I wanted to be small. I wanted to dissappear. Anything would've been better then having to face this.

The Akatuski didn't know about my fear of lighting and thunder. Ever since they appeared during the storm in my world, the skies had only rained. No thunder storms had occurred while they were around me. I didn't want them to see me this way. I was already weak enough, whether I was comparing myself to them or not. My fear was pathetic, but I didn't know how to make it go away. I never had anyone to comfort me when I was little, no one to tell me that the storm was okay. When I grew up I realized that the storm wasn't something to fear, but that didn't cease the fear. Instead, it grew. And, now, I was here. A fifteen year old girl cowering underneath the power of the skies.

"Sakura-chan?"

I snapped out of myself, gasping out breathlessly, "What? I-I'm alright. I'm going to... going to go to my room."

My chair almost fell in my hurry to avoid their eyes, and their reactions. I quickly ran out of the room, trying to remember the path I had taken here with Tobi in my blind terror. After minutes of running I ended up lost, that I knew. My memory had failed to remember which was I needed to go. I was in a hallway that didn't look the familiar in the slightest, when the sky suddenly growled like a rabid animal. I shrieked and crumbled to my knees, collapsing against the wall.

The tears I had back burst forward as the storm hit completely. I could heard the base groan as the wind beat against the outside walls, and I could hear thunder crashing. I was thankful to be in a windowless hallway, because I knew that the flashes of crackling lightning would only further my anxiety.

I felt a presence near me, and I looked up, startled. Itachi stood at the end of the hallway, staring blankly at my shaking form. I hiccuped pathetically and tried to hide my tears away. The thunder boomed over head, and I let out a soft sob. I heard foot steps near me, and felt someone kneel next to me.

Itachi scooped me into his arms without a word, and carried me away. I sniffled, cowering into his chest at each boom. He only took a few steps down the hall before he balanced me in one arm and opened a door. He carried me inside, not bothering to shut the door behind him. It must've been his own room, be he casually plopped onto the bed. He cradled me into his lap, still not speaking.

"You're scared of storms," He stated, staring down at me with his intimidating sharingan eyes.

I laughed bitterly, and asked without humor, "That noticeable, huh?"

A loud snarl of thunder echoed over head, and I buried my face into his neck defensively. He calmly tightened his arms around me, holding me silently as I shivered and cried. I tried to think of other things, and noted to myself that I _was_ in Itachi Uchiha's lap at the current moment. I laughed inside my head at thought of how jealous all the fan girls would be back in my home world. I couldn't help but feel comfortable, the warmth of his body making my eye-lids grow heavy. Sleep was ebbing at the edges of my mind.

"My younger brother used to be afraid of storms when he was a young child," Itachi said suddenly, seeming lost in a memory.

I blinked up at him curiously, releasing a few tears when I did so, and murmured, "Sasuke?"

Itachi's eyes looked down at me, before he nodded, "Yes."

I pursed my lips, shivering as the storm continued to growl above, and whispered quietly, "It wasn't your fault."

His grip on me seemed to tighten slightly, but I continued, "You were ordered. It wasn't your fault, and you should tell Sasuke the truth. Something tells me that he would believe you, if you only explained. Sasuke doesn't have to kill you, and getting revenge will only poison his mind even more then it already is. Think about that, please. I don't want to loose any of you, you're the only ones who have ever cared..."

My voice slowly slipped into a whisper, before I closed my eyes and fell asleep in the arms of a man that unwillingly murdered his most of his family.

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><p><strong>Piper: I'm happy with this chapter, I hope you are, too!<strong>

**Please review!**


	9. Grow

**Piper: Hiya!**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p><span>Chapter 9 - Grow<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

I inhaled through my nose slightly, filling sleep slowly escape my tired mind. I buried my head deeply into my pillow, and my brow creased when I heard a short chuckle. I ignored it after a moment, trying to coax myself back into the comforting slumber I had been submerged in. I kept my breath nice and steady, trying to still my mind once more and fall into sleep. I could feel it with the edges of my mind, but something light and feathery was tickling my cheek.

It brushed over my cheek and tickled the tip of my nose. I scrunched up my face, holding in a sneeze. I groggily moved my face into my elbow, turning away from my pillow and let out a small sneeze. It squeaked, and I heard a chuckle once more. Just as I was about to open an eye to investigate this consistent chuckling, I heard a loud slam near by.

With a shriek my eyes snapped open, and I clutched the fabric of my pillow in fear. A glance out of the corner of my eye showed my that it was not a pillow I was grabbing on, but a handful of Itachi's shirt. At the time I didn't have the slightest as to why I was in the same bed as Itachi Uchiha, because I was too sleepy and I was using all awake cells in my body to search for the loud, startling noise.

It wasn't hard to find out where the slam came from, because a voice carried on the noisy actions soon after the slam.

"What the hell, yeah? What do you think you're doing Uchiha?"

I spun my groggy head towards what seemed to be the doorway of the room. I could see a person, but the sudden movement of my head made me more dizzy and unaware then I was before. I managed to distinguish a blonde head of hair through my foggy vision, and let out a small, disorientated mumble of: "Deidei?"

Blinking I couple times, I thought I could spot a small patch of rose-red across the bridge of the blonde bomber's nose, but I was pulled from my sight by Itachi. He was smirking at Deidara's seething figure, seeming to be very smug at Deidara's anger at me resting on top of Itachi's chest. I, however, was regaining memory of how I ended up in the same bed as Itachi. I was embarrassed that he had found me like I had been, but I was thankful that, finally, someone had been there to comfort me.

"You woke Sakura up, Deidara," Itachi stated in an accusing, yet smug tone.

I peeked my head up from Itachi's shoulder, which he had smothered me into to further Deidara's anger. Deidara's left eye was twitching a bit and his face was no longer a rose blush, but crimson in anger. His fist quivered, and I sensed that dangerous territory was being entered with Itachi's taunting. I could remember something about how Deidara didn't like Itachi, but the reason why escaped my memory at that moment. If there even was a reason.

Blinking confusedly, I wondered what exactly was going to happen when a sudden voice spoke.

"Don't worry, Deidara. They didn't do anything. Itachi just proved he had a heart it all," Kisame spoke from his bed on the other side of the room, his voice muffled by the thick blanket and pillow his head was underneath.

Itachi glared at the lump on the bed that was Kisame, his sharingan swirling dangerously. Deidara, however, seemed to have calmed down a bit. He scoffed aloud, and stomped over to Itachi's bed, "Uchiha couldn't possibly have heart, yeah."

I frowned a little, but allowed him to steal me away from under the covers like he intended. As he got me situated in his arms I murmured, "That's mean, Deidara."

He shrugged, and started to leave the room. Itachi was in front of the door in an instant, glaring at Deidara intensely. He spoke, his velvet tone almost lulling me back to sleep right then, "Who said she wanted to leave?"

"No fighting," I grumbled tiredly.

Deidara, now the one being smug, side stepped the Uchiha. He was about to pass him when Itachi grabbed onto his arm, stilling his movements. Deidara opened his mouth to yell at Itachi, but cut off dead when the dark-haired male leaned down and pressed his lips to my forehead. I blinked at him, confused, and felt my cheeks heat up at the presence of his warm lips against my cheek.

Itachi pulled away, smirked at me, scowled at Deidara, and then shut us out of his and Kisame's room.

Fuming once more, Deidara carried me away from Itachi's room and started traveling through the halls. Fully awake once more, I found myself a bit annoyed.

"I can walk, you know," I insisted slightly, feeling embarrassed at the thought of being carried around. I wasn't a princess, I really didn't want to be treated like one. I wasn't special, so I didn't deserve special treatment.

Deidara smirked, seeming to calm down considerably as I spoke to him, and replied, "I know, yeah."

My face scrunched in irritation, but it only made him chuckle. He glanced down at me, before turning a corner and speaking, "You like a kitten when you're angry."

This only further irritated me, and caused Deidara to laugh even more at my expense. I figured out that we had been heading to the half kitchen, half living room after a bit, because after a few moments in total silence I heard Deidara's rumbling stomach suddenly growl out loud.

When we reached the kitchen, Deidara set me down on my feet and I got cooking while he took up residence at the dining table. As I cooked more and more Akatsuki filed in, all looking a bit disheveled and groggy. None of them seemed to joyous about being asleep, but they slowly got over it once the smell of food became more potent.

Once breakfast had been made, everyone was seated around the table enjoying the meals I had made for them. Eggs once more, and I was proud to say that I remember how each of they liked their eggs from the first time I ever cooked for the Akatsuki. Just as I put a piece of my own meal into my mouth, Pein began to speak.

"We are going to start training your today," He said, not looking up from his plate as he cut through his meal.

I choked, my food suddenly stuck halfway down my throat. The Akatsuki looked at me, seeming slightly panicked. Kisame, who had taken up the seat on my right, whacked me on the back with the palm of his hand a few times to try and held. I held up a hand, and he ceased. I swallowed uncomfortably, and took a big drink from my glass of milk.

Pausing for a moment to make sure everything was settled, I looked up at Pein and questioned in a pitch higher then my normal voice tone, "What?"

Pein raised his eyes to meet mine, trapping me within his gaze. He seemed to realize just what his eyes did every time I stared into them, and he suppressed a twitching in his lips that was begging to form a smirk. He calmly wiped his lips with his napkin, before speaking once more, "You have much to learn. Most ninja grow up learning, you are going to have to start working very hard to get as strong as the others of this world. You will have to train hard for most of the day, just about every day."

Pursing my lips, I looked at my plate. I didn't know if I could do this. I just couldn't picture myself as some strong kunoichi would could kill with just a flick of her pinkie. I didn't want to disappoint the Akatsuki, because I feared that if I wasn't able to keep up or be good enough that they may leave me. I didn't want to be alone again. It hurt so much being so alone every day back in my home world. I didn't have anyone to talk to about anything, and it had affected me growing up alone like I had.

I rose my eyes, and nodded towards Pein's waiting figure, "I'll do it."

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><p>"I'm not sure about this anymore," I stated, lifting the sharp kunai knife closer to my face.<p>

Pein raised a fine brow tauntingly, as if daring me to try and quit. Knowing not to defy him, I held the kunai like he had instructed. I took aim for the target set up a few feet away. I flicked my wrist as hard and correctly angled as I could. I closed my eyes once it left my hand, because I didn't want to see how bad I failed. I opened them once I heard a 'thump' come from a bit away. I stared blankly at the target, seeing that I hadn't even hit the circle target, but one of it's legs.

"Keep trying, just keeping going until you run out of kunai," Pein instructed quickly.

I nodded, and reached into the pouch tied to my left thigh. I continued to throw until my pouch ran empty, and I hadn't hit a single bullseye. After a bit my kunai did start hitting the target, but many of them were buried into the dirt all the way to the handle. I wasn't going to hide the fact that those kunai were thrown in deep frustration and that's why they hit the dirt and practically dug themselves a grave.

Pein collected the kunai and came back towards me. I reached to take them, but he ignored me. He opened my kunai pouch and slipped them all inside, making me stare at him slightly. He held one kunai still, and he placed it into my hand. Ignoring my obvious stare, he started to instruct me on every thing I was doing and how I should improve it.

For hours it went on like this. I would throw all my kunai, Pein would bring them back. As the day went on, getting closer to the late afternoon, I hadn't hit a single bullseye. I had gotten so close, and frustrated. Pein stopped letting me throw if I got too angry, and would make me wait until I simmered down a little. I had to admit, I was getting frustrated with myself, but it wasn't just that. With each throw I missed I could feel the confidence escape me like air out of a balloon with a needle sized hole poked in the side. I wasn't able to believe that I could do it, which Pein started to notice after a while.

I stared at the kunai I had just thrown. It was almost inches away from the center of the target. At least I wasn't hitting the legs and ground any longer. It took forever for just that to happen, however.

Some of the Akatsuki had visited at different points to watch how the beginning of my kunai training was going, but they would eventually go back inside. I had been throwing all day without a break. Sure, Pein gave me a drink from the canteens he had brought outside with us, but that was it. I was actually starting to get hungry, which was a bit abnormal for me since it wasn't near supper time, but I had missed lunch. Normally, that wouldn't have bother me, but with the Akatsuki suddenly in my life I had starting eating healthier. Portion wise, and three meals a day wise.

Despite my hunger and aching, I wasn't ready to give up. I had lost a bit of soul, yes, but I hadn't lost my stubborn nature. I refused to leave until I hit one bullseye.

Pein had been very patient with me, which was surprising. After the first few hours I suspected him to get angry with my terrible skills and give up on me, but he never did. He was very patient, and was ready to help when I asked. I didn't ask often, however, because of that sliver of stubborn nature I was born with.

"Here," Pein murmured, stepped behind me.

He placed the kunai into my hand, and moved me into a similar position that I had taken to throw a few moment ago. He spoke, and his breath hit the back of my ear, "I want you to full concentrate on that target. I need you to think of it as an enemy coming at you, wanting to harm you, wanting to kill you. I want you to defend yourself against the enemy, Sakura."

"I don't think I can do that," I said quietly, frustrated as I tried to take aim and it didn't feel quiet right.

"You will have to," He said coldly, making me look at him in slight shock.

I couldn't help myself. I was sweaty, sticky, and frustrated on a high level. I had been very fit in my world, but I was never good at throw and things like that for sports and gym class. My gym teacher had been a yeller, and boy did he do so. He yelled at everyone to the brink of breaking down, and I was beginning to feel like the pink haired girl crying in the bathroom stall because her gym teacher called her worthless and of no use, causing the class to laugh. So I retorted, "I can't do everything perfectly!"

"You will have to be perfect," Pein came back, his eyes igniting with his internal fire.

"And what if I can't be?" I cried angrily, feeling tears beginning to build up in my eyes. I didn't want to fight with him like this, but I was reaching my limit. I was stressed, upset with myself, and wishing that I could be better for the Akatsuki. I wanted to be as good as I could, and I wanted to make sure that they approved of me.

"Then you will die!" He hissed, his nostrils flaring slightly. The thought of my death seemed to almost trouble him somehow.

"Fine!" I yelled loudly, and faced the target.

I pulled my arm back, aimed, and in all my angry might I threw it. I expected it to fly in some random direction due to my angry, emotion filled throw. I watched as the kunai cut through the air like a bullet, and pinned a falling leaf to the center of the target. My eyes widened in utter shock, my chest still heaving from the momentary anger I had felt.

"You will need a passion like that with every single thing you do during this training," Pein instructed, his voice devoid of any trace of the anger it had been laced with moments before. "I am sorry I had to upset you so much, Sakura. I just needed you to find your inner fire. None of us have really seen you furious before, and I knew that I had to bring out an unused emotion to get you to try your hardest. You must not go into training doubting yourself like you do."

"How did you-" I began, but he cut me off.

"It was easy to read in your eyes that you didn't believe you could do it, even from the start. And because of that, with each passing minute you deflated and grew even more unmotivated. You must believe in yourself if you want to do this," Pein said, reaching forward and pulling my shaking form to his chest in an attempt to calm me.

I was still a bit shaky from the raw anger I had felt before. I couldn't stop myself, he had just gotten me so scared of myself. He talked of my death, and I had snapped even more. I hated how weak I had been in my world. Physically, I had believed that I could protect myself, but as Pein spoke I realized just how weak I really was even in my own world and I hated it. I hated the feeling of being so vulnerable to the world, so vulnerable that someone could take my life so fast, and I thought of all the times I had felt pathetic in my life when he had started being cold.

"Okay, I'll try, I promise," I said determinedly, hugging the orange-haired leader around his middle.

"Good," Pein said, before speaking once more, "We are not always going to be able to protect you, Sakura. We may be very strong, but we are not perfect. Something could happen at any moment, because people are out there trying to find and kill us. If they find out about you, they will come for you. They will torture you for information of us, and they may as well kill you if you refused. You will need to protect yourself if we can't be there."

I nodded in understanding, and Pein pulled away. We started to walk back towards the base, my mind set in determination. I would do this, no matter what happened. I would let myself be belittled by others ever again, and I wouldn't let them have a chance to hurt me like they used to in my childhood. I would have to strengthen my mind along with my body. I refused to rid myself of emotions like some ninja were taught to do, because there was such a thing as being strong and caring. But, I would have to try and rid myself of my past and my fears.

I could never be completely fearless, but some things were going to have to change.

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><p>When we got inside the base, Pein motioned for me to follow him. I did so, wondering what he wanted with me. I thought he was just going to leave me at the entrance with a short good-bye, but he seemed to be waiting for something. I followed close behind him, giving Sasori a friendly wave as we passed in the hallway. I almost tripped in shock when he half-heartedly waved back. It was more like he lifted his arm into the air in response, but just the fact that he responded was enough to almost make me trip on a flat surface.<p>

Soon we were entering Pein's office. He hung his cloak up on the rack next to the door, and motioned me to follow him to his desk. He opened one of the drawers, and produced a piece of paper. I blinked at slightly, feeling as though I should know what it was. The nerd inside of me was itching against my brain, screaming the answer, but I couldn't hear her. It was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't exactly remember.

"This piece of paper will help determine if you have an elemental type of chakra or not. We will need to know this to help when we start training with jutsu and your chakra," Pein said, handing the paper to me.

My face went from confusion to recognition as I realized what it was. At Pein's instructions, I began to pool my chakra into the little piece of paper. I watched it for a moment, before it suddenly crumpled into a wrinkly paper wad. I stared at it for a moment, trying to think of what element that may be. I turned to Pein for an answer.

He looked a bit hesitant to tell me, before he said, "Your element... is lightning."

My heart almost stopped.

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><p><strong>Piper: There you go! I hope you liked this chapter!<strong>

**Please Review!**


	10. Teach

**Piper: Okay, here's my explanation. School has started again. Yes, **_**already**_**. Hardly a summer, I know. But I'm adjusting to a new grade and new teachers, so I waited a bit before I updated and I'm sorry for that. You guys will have to be patient, but from now on try to expect an update every weekend if I'm not busy.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p><span>Chapter 10 - Teach<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

I looked straight into Pein's eyes, trying to find a hint of deception in their vast depths. No trace of lies, not a single one. It made my heart constrict with fear, as I realized what was flowing through me at this moment. Technically, it was just chakra, but it was elemental chakra tinted with the powers of lightning. Lightning, the bane of my existence, the soul of my fears, was the core of my powers. Nothing else would ever be so ironic to me, never. This bitter, ironic discovery almost had me dry-heaving.

"Sakura," Pein said slowly, "Are you alright?"

"Never better," I choked faintly, holding a hand over my frantically beating heart.

Pein watched as the little color my face held wash away, painting my already pale skin a sickly white. He reached forward, his strong hand grasping my shoulder. He guided me forward and into the seat across the desk from his. I sat down, and looked down at my body. I was bouncing my legs almost subconsciously, and my hands were shaking like a leaf hanging onto a branch for dear life. My heart was beating so hard and fast that I could literally feel it inside my chest.

I felt Pein's fingers touch my forehead, and my eyes closed as I felt his chakra leak into my head. My breath cracked slightly as I felt a calming sensation wash over my full body. I slumped into the chair, and felt my eyes flutter tiredly. Pein's chakra drew back a bit, and I felt more awake and calm then sleepy. His fingers left my forehead, and there was a lingering warmth of his chakra inside my head. I took in a few deep breaths, letting them go slowly.

Opening my eyes, I looked up at Pein, who was staring at me with his eyes slightly widened.

"Itachi told me that you feared storms, but I didn't realize it was to such an extent," Pein mused slightly, walking around the desk to sit in his office chair.

I nodded, swallowing nervously. My heart was now calmer in my chest, but I could still feel the faint throbbing inside my chest. Whether it was fear, or my heart pumping, I couldn't distinguish. The thought that my whole chakra was tinted with the power of my strongest fear made my stomach clench. What if it hurt me? What if it was just as dangerous as the bright energy that seemed to normally accompany storms? I was afraid, and it was of myself.

Pein glanced over at me, his ringed gaze making my heart flutter softly with a calm feeling, "You are going to have to over-come that fear sometime, Sakura."

I shook my head childishly, shutting my eyes tightly as tears threatened to spill. I knew that. I had tried so hard to get over the fear, but I didn't know how to. I didn't know how to stop the fear from igniting inside me at the sound of the thunder, and flashes of the lightning. I could only push back on the fear for so long until it would rush free.

"What brought this fear on?" Pein asked curiously.

I opened my eyes to gain some courage from his stare. Our gazes connected, and I felt myself get lost in his eyes and the fear slowly fade to the back of my mind.

"I didn't have parents," I said quietly, "I can never remember having any. I grew up by myself."

Pein raised an eyebrow. "Then how were you able to live in a house on your own?"

"No one seemed to know that I existed. The owner of my house back in the other world took my in as a child, letting me live in the house for rent. He paid for it and my food until I was old enough to get a job, and then he laid bills on me like no other. Even though he wasn't my legal guardian, he was the one that would sign me up for school each year so that I could go, but I still had to pay the book fee and things like that. The school never looked into it much at all, just assuming that my landlord was my guardian in some way," I explained, remembering my grubby landlord. He did a few good things for me, yes, but other then that he had just kind of left me alone.

"Why didn't he take you to an orphanage?" Pein asked, resting his chin in the palm of his propped up hand.

"You saw the condition of my home. It was terrible. No one would have willingly paid to live there. He knew that once I grew up that I most likely wouldn't make enough to leave, and took me in so that he would have some kind of income coming in from the home. He just figured that taking in someone who had no hope of escaping poverty would be beneficial, because he charged me more then my bills needed to be paid," I told him slowly.

Pein nodded slightly, before speaking once more, "Do you have no memory of your parents?"

I shook my head, "No. I don't know who took care of me as an infant. My oldest memory that I can recal is the day my landlord took me off the street and let me stay in the house. I have no item that gives me any inclination to them, or anything. I literally had nothing as a child, so I didn't even have anything to jog my memory."

His eyebrows drew, a crease appearing on his perfectly sculpted face, and he asked, "Then how did you get your name?"

I shook my head, feeling some of the stray pieces of hair from my new hair cut dust against my face softly, and said, "It was always there. I don't know how I knew it, but it was always there."

Pein dug a little more with each question, seeming to try and subtly unravel my life story from it's secure blanket of protection. The Akatsuki didn't know much about my past, and normally I tried to dodge their question the best that I could. My life was quiet boring, and most of it was darkened by the abuse of my Principle and others of my school, and my own dark stages of life that I had went through. I couldn't keep myself in such a good shape since I was mostly alone, and being alone and depressed leads to many different things.

"What am I going to do?" I asked softly, before he could sneak in another question, "I don't know how to stop myself from being afraid."

"We will help you," Pein said instantly, his eyes capturing mine to show their subtle sincerity, "We do not have to teach you and lightning based jutsu. It would be best if we let you get the hang of your chakra before we teach anything to big."

I blew a breath of air at my bangs. If throwing a simple kunai was difficult for me, how hard would other hurdles be to jump over?

* * *

><p>Two, almost three, weeks passed since my first training day. Each day I trained with a different Akatsuki member, like a cycle. Pein, Itachi, Kisame, Deidara, Sasori, Kakuzu, Hidan, Zetsu, and then Tobi. I had my preferences about just who taught me, and my least favorites. I enjoyed all of their company, but their different styles practically gave me mental whiplash. I knew that they had set it up specifically for that, because I would have to get used to constant adjustment.<p>

When either Pein, Itachi, Kisame, Tobi, or Zetsu taught, I was a bit calmer. They had the most patience with me, and I liked their styles. It hadn't taken me too long to get over my kunai throwing hindrance, but I still spent a hour each days throwing multiple kunai at once towards a target. My first training session with Itachi had been a bit stressful. Itachi started teaching me with his focus on upping my speed levels, and now I wore weights on my arms and legs all day long. During training I had to wear heavier weights and I had to run laps around the training field. If I was too slow, the Akatsuki member teaching me that day would force more laps onto me.

When Deidara, Sasori, Kakuzu, or Hidan taught me, I felt like I was playing with a ticking bomb, literally so with Deidara. These Akatsuki members were definitely the most impatient of the Akatsuki, and they had each made that face clear on my first day training with them. I almost had an emotional breakdown when Hidan tried to teach me, his constant cursing and blunt criticism nearly driving me to the brink of insanity, but I knew deep down that it was just his nature and that had been the only thing keeping me from tears that day.

Each Akatsuki member was teaching me different things. Pein, Tobi, and Itachi were teaching me basic academy learning, helping me build my skills and chakra along with my speed. Once I got over my academy stage they were going to teach me how to fight with my fists better, and stronger.

Kisame and Hidan were teaching me weaponry, along with Kisame teaching more chakra control on the side. The fish man and the Jashinist were occasionally sneaking in advanced fighting moves, which helped me better with my academy training.

Zetsu, Sasori, and Kakuzu were teaching me for medicinal purposes. Kakuzu was showing me how to treat wounds without chakra, saying that once Pein, Itachi, and Kisame all approved of my chakra capability we would start chakra healing. Sasori and Zetsu were teaching me how to make poisons and potions. On the sides Zetsu was teaching me how to survive out in the wilderness.

Deidara was teaching me the art of traps and, of course, explosives.

After the first week I felt like a pile of goo. They had given me my first Saturday off as a break in my training, and I spent most of the day in pain. It had been hard for me to get used to the aching muscles, but when I was focusing on training the pains went to the back of the mind. When I wasn't training, the aching came at me full force. That Saturday I spent all day in bed, sleeping and trying to find a comfortable way to sleep without irritating myself.

That was the last free Saturday I got. I trained each day from seven in the morning, until my current teacher thought I was finished. Even though I was almost constantly tired, I was happy. It was only my first few weeks and I was making quick progress, at least that was what Pein had said. He told me that I was absorbing everything fairly well for someone who was having to cramp years of experience in at such a small time period.

During what little free time I had, I spent my time training myself. When I figured out that the Akatsuki had a library, that was where I spent most of my free time. I found books on all kinds of training, and read them to better and prepare myself for where my training would go. I found a few interesting jutsu scrolls, and picked them out and kept them in my room. Pein said that it would be wise for me to choose a few jutsus, so that when I was ready to learn I would have something to start on.

I didn't know if I was ready to face my fear.

* * *

><p>"Wake up, bitch," Hidan's voice said from the darkness, and a shaking on my shoulders had my eyes snapping open in fright.<p>

"Alright," I said tiredly as I sat up, my heart rate calming down.

Hidan ran his purple eyes up and down my disheveled appearance with a smirk, before he turned and left the room grumbling about his own loss of sleep. I watched him go, feeling very tired.

The Akatsuki had taken note of the heavy sleeper I was, and they had "fixed it" as Kisame says. They would scare me from my sleep in the earlier hours. Tobi had pounced onto my bed screaming bloody murder, Deidara had set a non-lethal but extremely loud explosion in my room, Hidan had poured freezing ice water onto me, and so many other things that would startle a slumbering person awake. Then, they would do tests. One or two of them would come into my room, either from the window or door, while I slept. They would make a few small noises every now and again, and if I didn't wake up to them I got a terrifying wake-up call at a much earlier hour. After a week, I woke up at the slightest suspicions of them in my room.

I rose from my bed, and didn't give myself any time to dwell on my tired mind. If I slowed down, then training would be much more difficult. I forced my sleepy body onto its feet and moved towards my closet. I pulled out a pair of black knee-length shorts and a dark blue t-shirt with the sleeves cut off. I grabbed some undergarments and headed for my shower. I stripped my clothes and my leg and arm weights. The only moment I was allowed to take them off being the shower, and it was a great relief on my appendages.

Taking a shower wasn't as relaxing as before. I had to be at training on time, which meant that I couldn't dilly-dally. I quickly cleaned myself up and exited the shower. I got dressed, slipped on a pair of sandles, picked up my training equipment and hurried towards the kitchen. I instantly got cooking once I arrived, and made enough for everyone. I ate a smaller breakfast, knowing that if I ate to little I would tire easier, and if I ate to much I would probably throw it up.

I was usually much more awake once out of the shower, but I normally downed a cup of coffee or two before each training session just for a little boost.

"You do realize that you don't have to cook for us every morning," Kisame pointed out as he sat at the table

"The fuck she doesn't," Hidan growled, tearing into his pancakes like a rabid animal.

Rolling my eyes slightly, I smiled, "If I didn't, then you would all starve or get extremely fat from take out you'd steal from the village."

The Akatsuki present in the room seemed to agree slightly, but didn't voice anything out loud. None of them seemed to want to admit that even though they could single-handedly take down an army they couldn't cook very well at all. Deidara tried cooking once so that I wouldn't have had to, but he ended up getting a few things confused and let's just say that the Akatsuki were not happy with having to clean exploded ingredients off of the kitchen and living room walls.

Pein suddenly entered the room, and I saw the slightest twist of his nostrils as he took in the smell of my home-made pancakes. He thanked me with his eyes, and lightly touched my cheek as he passed. I fought down a blush, and hid my face into the heat of my coffee. The Akatsuki were sweet to me when we weren't training, and it was something I wasn't used to. It had taken me a few days to get used to Pein's fingers ghosting across my cheek in a soft gesture. The first time he did it, I had flinched almost violently, thinking that he was going to strike me across the face. He hadn't been happy about the reaction, neither were the rest of the Akatsuki, but I slowly grew out of it.

Itachi came in not long after Pein. He touched my shoulder as he passed, and I once against fought away the blush on my cheeks.

I downed the rest of my coffee when I saw Hidan finishing up his meal, ignoring the burning as it ran down my throat painfully. I stood from the table the same time he did. I offered to take his plate with a gestured hand, and he carelessly handed it to me. The other Akatsuki glared at him for his rudeness, but I was used to it. I placed our dishes in the sink, thankful for Tobi's cooing about how he would take care of the dishes for me while I went out to train.

"See you guys this afternoon," I called over my shoulder, following Hidan from the room and out of the base.

It didn't take long for us to reach the training field, and Hidan unstrapped two swords from his back. He threw one towards me, and I caught it swiftly. I took my stance, Hidan following my example quickly. I wasn't leading very long, for soon he was swinging at me repeatedly. I struggled to match his movements and take my own shots, but soon I caught up with his speed.

We sword-fought until deep into the afternoon. Hidan had to go back inside once, because I had managed a nasty stab to his chest which he needed to get Kakazu to stitch up for him. I apologized profusely, but all I got was a bonk on the head with the hilt of his sword and a reply telling me to shut up about it, which I had hope was his way of accepting the apology.

For the rest of the day we trained, until about seven at night. We had alternated between sword fighting and kunai throwing. Hidan was the perfect test dummy for me to practice my throwing at a moving target. Even though I was happy that I could actually hit a moving target, I felt guilty every time a kunai embedded into Hidan's skin.

"Fuck this shit, we're freaking done for the day," Hidan growled, yanking a kunai from his throat.

Training with Hidan entitled seeing more gore then wanted, and even though I was able to stomach it I still flinched when a stream of blood began to flow from his neck. Hidan ignored it completely. He wiped the blood onto his cloak carelessly and tossed the kunai at me. I caught it between two fingers, almost missing the catch, and tucked it into my pouch.

"I'm sorry, again, Hidan," I said honestly, before a gasp left my lips.

My back hit the trunk of the tree a few feet behind me, and I looked up, into the eyes of Hidan. Their purples depths were narrowed down at me, and his sweet breath hit my face as he spoke, "I've fucking told you before, bitch. Stop fucking apologizing so freaking much."

I nodded rapidly, trying to subtly move away. It was uncomfortable the way we were close together. Both of us were sweaty from training, and to be honest neither of us smelled exactly like a field daisies. It wasn't only that, but also because I was still a bit weary of Hidan. The other Akatsuki were like him, but he was much more forward with the whole 'doing what I want, when I want to do it' thing.

A smirk stretched across his lips as he realized how nervous I was, and he leaned his face closer to mine.

My heart slammed against my rib cage painfully and I realized that Hidan was once again going to try and steal my first kiss from me. I waited to feel our faces connect, my face contorted in a flinch as I didn't exactly know how a kiss, let alone one from Hidan, would feel against my face.

I could almost feel his lips near mine, but just as they were about to touch my own there was a startling explosion from behind Hidan. I yelped like a wounded puppy, my head jerking back and hitting the tree trunk harshly. Hidan cursed loudly at the interruption, and spun around as quick as a raging tornado. Deidara was marching across the training field with a dark expression, the mouths on his hands seeming to be chewing clay frantically.

"Hidan, you bastard, yeah! Stop trying to molest Sakura!" The blond spat, and a clay bird flew at Hidan.

"I can fucking molest who I damn well please, Priss!" Hidan snarled back, dodging.

I watched the two with a blank expression, rubbing the back of my head painfully. I cared for them deeply, but sometimes I just didn't understand _men_. And, as I watched the two fight back and for, my face occasional jumping into a surprise expression due to Deidara's explosive attacks, my understanding of men didn't get any clearer.

The world suddenly slipped away from my feet, and I yelped once again as I swept into strong arms. I looked up, seeing Itachi's smirking face. He didn't let me down, and continued to carry me towards the base.

"Uh, hi, Itachi," I said simple, causing him to let out a slight chuckle, "What's up?"

"We decided we wanted to join in on the fun," Kisame's voice suddenly came from off to the side, and I looked to Itachi's left to see the blue skinned man following the Uchiha's steps perfectly.

"Fun?" I questioned, tilting my head to the side.

Kisame blinked once, and his face darkened slightly. He coughed, and looked off to the side quickly. I frowned slightly, and looked up at Itachi for an explanation. The Uchiha kept a straight face during each word, saying, "About this time, both Deidara and Hidan will realize that the prize of their fight, you, is gone. They will go searching, and find you with us. There for, I win."

"We win," Kisame corrected in a grumble.

I laughed, my face lighting up in a smile that wouldn't have been possible a month before.

* * *

><p><strong>Piper: Sorry this was just filler chapter, but there will be better stuff next chapter.<strong>

**I have a question for you guys. You will not know what the question portains to, but I will let you know that it will probably help me decide something, so here's the question.**

**Kisame, Sasori, or Pein? (This doesn't mean pick your favorite, just choose one!)**

**Please review, and tell me what you think of the story!**


	11. Slugger

**Piper: **Hi guys! Thank you all for your reviews and such!

I don't own Naruto

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><p><span>Chapter 11 - Slugger<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

My back hit the trunk of the tree behind me, and I quickly slowed my breathing down as good as I could. I could feel a trickle of cold sweat roll down my forehead, and I closed my eyes slightly. I used my chakra to feel around me slowly and carefully, trying to pick up on anything around me. There was a sudden noise, and my eyes snapped open wide.

A fist was heading straight for my face, and I bowed quickly to dodge to the impact. The thick tree behind me snapped harshly, splinters flying around me. The tree groaned as it tilted backwards and made its descent via gravity's forceful pull. I faintly heard it crash to the ground, but I was much too busy to focus on the slightly saddening view of a beautiful piece of environment falling down in death.

I swung out my foot, my heel digging into the forest floor with the limb's harsh swing.

Hidan cursed loudly as his legs fell out from under him, but he caught himself with one arm, using it as leverage to swing his feet towards my exposed face. I blocked with my wrist, before grabbing his left ankle with both hands and swinging his body around in a full circle. I let go, watching as he crashed through two mighty trees and dented a third.

Smirking, I admired my work. However, I dwindled too long, as I figured out when a loud, violent explosion erupted from above.

I quickly kart-wheeled out of the way of the chunks of tree debris falling from above, my mind cursing in panic. The air shattered around me at the sound of a kunai cutting through the air, and in mid-kart wheel I used my hands to push myself into the air. My eyes locked onto the kunai, which flew just inches away from the tip of my nose, as I flipped onto my feet.

Dodging more of Deidara's clay birds and spiders, and I turned quickly and ran in the opposite direction of the owner of the thrown kunai, sensing their chakra approaching fast. I ran straight at a tall tree, feeding some chakra into my feet. They stuck right to the bark, allowing me to scale up the side of the tree with intense ease.

Just as I neared the coverage of the leaves and branches, I heard the wind cutting close to me. I detached my chakra from my feet, pushing myself off of the tree and tilting my weight backwards. As the world turned upside down in my vision, I could hear the sound of Kakuzu's threads crashing into the tree exactly where I had been seconds before.

I saw something blue out of the corner of my eye, and I cried out in slightly panic as I twirled, dodging Kisame and landing onto a tree branch.

Breathing heavily, I knew that I couldn't keep this up much longer. None of the Akatsuki were as tired as I was, but I could tell that they, too, were tiring like I was. We had been at this for what seemed to be hours. It was a exercise to help me improve my dodging. I could attack a little bit, but it was very hard to due to the fact that I had all of the Akatsuki coming at me all at once. I wasn't fast enough to dodge them and attack, yet. But, I was getting better everyday. After almost a month and a week of training, I could most definitely see the differences of me and my past self.

There was a sudden presence behind me, and my eyes widened in shock. I tried to dart away, but a strong hand took ahold of my upper arm. I could tell who it was by their grasp, and I shielded my eyes from the twirling sharingan that were trying to dunk me into my worst nightmare.

I struggled, trying to keep my eyes hidden and break free at the same time. I swung out with my leg, but felt it get caught. I used it as leverage and picked my last limb off of the ground and swung it to where I believed Itachi's head was. I was dropped, and I landed on all fours, panting tiredly.

"All right, she is too tired to go on any longer. Training is over," I heard Pein's voice come from off to the side.

I looked up wearily, seeing the orange haired male standing at the end of the branch I was on. The other Akatsuki appeared around us, some looking slightly disheveled while others looked perfectly fine. Hidan was wiping a trail of blood away from the corner of his mouth, the top of his cloak seeming to be torn almost completely after crashing through several trees.

"You've done well for today," Pein said, watching as Sasori offered me a hand up.

I took it and shakily stood on my feet. I smiled at the wooden man in thanks, before looking towards Pein with a small grin.

He smirked at me, nodding in approval.

"Sooooo," I said, stretching out the 'o', "How long did I last?"

The Akatsuki watched, amused, as I bounced on the balls of my feet whilst I waited for the answer. Excitement was coursing through me, watching as Pein began to form the answer to his question. I stared at him hard, wanting to see his lips form the answer just as much as I wanted to hear it serenade my hearing with their, hopefully sweet, song.

"Two hours, forty-three minutes, and thirty seconds," Pein said, watching my reaction with a smirk stretching onto his face.

I cheered loudly, throwing my fist into the air. I ignored the smarting pain in my muscles, and I raised my palm towards the person on my side, which was Sasori. He stared at my hand blankly, and I blinked at him. I was about to lower my hand when he clapped our palms together shortly, his arm straight at his side within seconds.

Smiling, I looked to Pein eagerly, saying in an excited tone, "This means that you have to go through with your end of the deal now!"

Pein nodded, running a hand through his spiky hair lazily. "Yes, yes I do."

Kisame, who had been standing behind me at the time, reached forward and ruffled my hair. "Good job, Kitten."

"So, when's my first mission and who am I going with?" I asked, leaning into Kisame's touch just slightly.

Pein looked around at the Akatsuki, all of whom seemed to be staring at Pein intensely. Pein rested his eyes upon the Immortal Team of the Akatsuki. He opened his mouth, and spoke in a strict tone of voice, "When you two go out on your next bounty hunting trip you will take Sakura with you. You _will_ protect her if need be, do you understand?"

The two nodded, but the other Akatsuki didn't seem very happy with the choice.

"What if Hidan tries to do something bad to Tobi's Sakura-chan?" Tobi yelled, wrapping his arms around me from behind.

The other Akatsuki glared at him. I felt a gust of warm breath tickle the back of my neck, which seemed to come from underneath Tobi's mask. I inhaled slightly at the warm contact, a blush crossing the bridge of my nose. The Akatsuki glared at Tobi harder when they saw the coloring cross my cheeks.

"Get off of her, yeah," Deidara muttered darkly, ripping Tobi away by the back of his collar and throwing him into a tree a few feet away.

We all watched as he slowly peeled away from the tree before falling down to the forest floor. He fell from view, and there was a passing of about three seconds before we heard a distinct thud and a strangled cry of pain.

I turned and looked at Kakuzu and Hidan. "So when are we going?"

* * *

><p>Looking into a mirror was like staring at a totally different person. The girl in the mirror was much different from what she used to be. She was stronger, and she was just a bit more confident. Her minimal personality changes aside, her body had grown stronger. The weights she carried on both her arms and legs held back the secret speed she had been gaining the past month, and was still gaining to the date. With each pound added, her body grew stronger. And, once the weights were removed, she was much lighter.<p>

She wasn't sickly thin any longer. She was still very thin, but she had gained muscle and a healthy build to her. No longer did she look like a single gust of wind would turn her dust. Carry her away, maybe, but she wouldn't crumble under the slightest touch any longer. She could defend herself. She wasn't the best fighter, yet, but she was strong enough to hold her own against an enemy or two.

It was so hard to believe that this girl was me. I couldn't believe how much I had changed in such a small amount of time. I was able to blood more, to open myself up to the Akatsuki. I was able to reach goals I didn't know I'd have or could reach. I still had many more to complete, but the amount that I had already achieved at that point was amazing to me.

I slung my backpack over my shoulder, and stared into the mirror once more. I was dressed in my Akatsuki cloak. I was prepared for travel and for fighting. I had a simple long sword strapped to my back, my backpack attached to my back over that. My kunai pouch was hiding inside my cloak, but was very much accessible if needed.

Taking one last look at the foreign girl in the mirror, I turned on my heel and left the room to go on my first, real journey in the Naruto world.

* * *

><p>Saying good-bye to go on my mission was much harder then I thought it would be. Pein had already explained to me that we would be gone about a week or two, judging by how fast we could find our bounties and how many we took at the time. I didn't know if I wanted to leave them all here. They were my best friends, and I didn't want to leave any of them behind. I only wished that we could've all traveled together without the threat of finding someone who would recognize one of them.<p>

So, I stood next to Hidan and Kakuzu as the rest of the Akatsuki came to send me off on my first mission ever. I gave every single one of them a hug, even Itachi and Sasori. I was very surprised to feel both of them wrap their arms around me. Itachi, however, did something Sasori hadn't. He planted his lips gently onto my forehead, and I could feel heat coming not only from my face, but from the glares pointed in Itachi's direction.

He pulled back, brushing my hair back with one hand before he stepped away from me. I looked at him, confused by this gentle actions. Normally, Itachi was quite the stoic individual. I couldn't understand just why he was so gentle towards me every now and again.

I pushed my confusion aside and continued my way down the line of Akatsuki members. Zetsu had appeared to be surprised that I would willingly hug him, but after a moment of stunned hesitation he wrapped his arms carefully around mine. After hugging him I moved on to Tobi, who eagerly crushed me into his grip. I was saved by Pein, who pulled me towards him and away from the masked man.

Looking up, I found myself lost in the ringed eyes of the fearless Akatsuki leader. He looked down at me, his eyes slightly amused. I paused, before smiling and wrapping my arms around his torso. I felt his hand lightly touch my back, accepting the hug. I held onto him for a few seconds before pulling away and going to stand next to Hidan and Kakuzu.

We said our final farewell, and left the base.

* * *

><p>It was so much more fun being able to keep up with Hidan and Kakuzu. We darted through the trees, and I loved every second of. Hidan had every complaint in the world spilling from his lips about having to travel, but I was having the time of my life. The push and pull of my muscles as I leapt from branch to branch in an almost graceful form, the feeling of the wind running its fingers through my hair, and the sweet smells of the fresh out doors. A rain had fallen not to long ago from that day, and the smell had still been lingering around the area.<p>

"When we reach the village we're going to check the bounty board and instantly head out. No stopping for anything you could've gotten or done back at the base," Kakuzu said sternly, his comment bothering Hidan the most out of all of us.

"Why the fuck can't we take a damn rest?" The silver haired man spat almost viciously, his eyes narrowing unhappily at the tanned man's comment.

Kakuzu glanced at Hidan from over his shoulder, his oddly colored eyes slightly cold, "Because, Hidan. The village isn't even that far from the base, there is no need for a rest. We need to get going and get this over with, so that we can get paid."

The tanned man's eyes seemed to shimmer with greed, and a slightly dreamy expression clouded over his face. Kakuzu always seemed to be quite the odd man when it came to the topic of money, which I had noticed quiet quickly. I had always known about his money expression back before I had gotten to meet him personally, but now that he was real and up close it was so much more fascinating.

Hidan, however, didn't seem to agree with that.

"Greedy fucking bastard," Hidan trailed off, mumbling more curses and insults underneath his breath.

I smiled at the two's familiar arguing and continued to enjoy the running and jumping.

It wasn't much longer after that when we reached the outskirts of the village. Kakuzu was checking a bounty board just a few feet away from the entrance. He ripped a few of them off and handed them to me. It wasn't long before I had about eight bounties or so in my hands, all stating that they wanted someone dead or alive, or just dead. No one seemed to be wanted alive on this board, and it unnerved me slightly.

Pushing away my feelings, I closely followed Hidan and Kakuzu into the village. They visited many bars and taverns, questioning about someone in one of their bounties. I was listening closely to each conversation, making sure to commit each important detail to my memory. I was intrigued by this. It was my first time collecting information and trying to decipher where we might be able to find our victims through little tid-bits and pieces we got from the villagers.

Not long after, we were headed towards a village to the north-east, having heard about it from a man working in an inn. All other leads seemed to point in that general direction as well, so it was okay to say that we had a good lead on this bounty. We traveled on until it began to get dark out. When the sun was nearly gone, the sky painted many shades of pastel pink, orange, and blue, we stopped and set up camp.

I was in charge of the cooking, once Hidan had gather enough firewood and started the fire. Kakuzu set up a three person tent, having pulled it out of a storage scroll that he had hidden deep within his cloak.

We were then sitting around the fire, the night sky above us glittering with bright stars. I chewed a bit on my piece of meat, still a bit upset that then animal I had caught with a flick of my kunai had been a bunny. A fat bunny, but a cute, adorable bunny none the less. Hidan cleaned it and skinned it for me, seeing just how close to tears I was the moment I realized that I had struck a bunny rabbit with my kunai. At least it hadn't suffered, for the cut had been a clean one to the head.

"Even without a fucking kitchen, you can freaking cook some good shit," Hidan said, seeming to be praising me despite the harsh curse words that laced his words.

I cast him a smile, and roughly swallowed down my food. I turned my eyes back up towards the sky, watching the stars above. It was so beautiful. I had never been so close to out doors as I was at that moment. I was sitting in the grass, the warm glow of the fire dancing on my snow-white skin, the cold wind occasionally ghosting by to nip at my fingers and nose, and the stars glittering above me. Nothing seemed more beautiful then the moment I was having at that moment.

A large yawn suddenly cut through me, and I felt tears reach the corners of my eyes at the pressure of sleep. I stretched tiredly, and watched as Kakuzu stood up on the other side of the camp fire.

"Hidan, you have first watch," The stitched man stated from over his shoulder, his slightly slumped figure heading into the tent.

Hidan glared at the tent, but kept his mouth shut tightly. I slowly stood, almost falling back over as the exhaustion of traveling all day long hit me.

"I'm going to go to sleep, too, Hidan. You can wake me up first for the watch if you want," I said, giving him a small smile and walking towards the tent.

I unzipped it, and took my shoes off at the entrance of the tent. Three sleeping bags were inside, one Hidan's, one mine, and one Kakuzu's. Kakuzu was laying on his back, and he had his face cover off. His long, chocolate brown hair was splayed around him messily, and his eyes were shut peacefully as though he had fallen asleep in that short amount of time.

As I slipped into my sleeping bag, I couldn't help but study Kakuzu's face. I had only gotten to see him without his mask about three times before and none were very long.

I shivered in my sleeping bag, and curled up into a ball. It was much colder now that I was away from the heat of the fire, and the cold was very cruel. I shut my eyes, attempting to sleep despite the cold nipping at the tips of my fingers, toes, and nose. I gasped slightly when a warm arm draped over my shoulders and pulled me.

Kakuzu cracked one eye open, watching as I took the invitation and curled against his side for warmth. He seemed to be a bit surprised that I didn't look repulsed at the offer. I could tell that despite his nature, he didn't like people staring at his stitches. Probably because every time some one did, they were repulsed. I wasn't repulsed by them, I was fascinated. I found them cool, too. They gave him character.

I thanked him with a smile, and closed my eyes. I was slowly warming up now, and I slowly fell asleep.

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><p>"Time to wake up, Sakura, Hidan." I heard a deep voice say, and my eyes snapped open.<p>

It was morning, I could tell by the light leaking in through the opening of the tent flap. I felt something pressed against my back, and looked over my shoulder tiredly to see Hidan, his arms sprawled out around him and his legs bent awkwardly. His arm was against my back, which was what I had felt. I blinked slightly, remembering that I _had_ been sleeping against one Akatsuki member, but it hadn't been Hidan and I had been sleeping with my front to them, not my back.

I looked at Kakuzu, who was watching us rise from the tent entrance. Realizing what had happened, I frowned slightly.

"You guys didn't wake me up for my turn of watch," I accused.

Kakuzu shrugged, and exited the tent as Hidan lifted himself into a sitting position.

Hidan looked at me though heavily lidded eyes. I quirked an eyebrow at him, scratching my choppily cut, sleep-ridden hair.

"You freaking snore, you fucking know that, right?" Hidan asked.

I blushed heavily, making a quick exit out of the tent. We all ate a short breakfast, a simple apple from some of the spare food I had packed. It didn't take long for us to clean up our camp site and clear all evidence of human life away from the area. Even the grass, where there should've been an imprint from our tent, got a treatment to make the flattened area stick up once more.

We quickly got traveling, and I then knew why Hidan didn't like traveling so much. The day before, I had slept in a nice bed and woke up refreshed. That night, I had slept on the stiff ground and felt like a tornado had spun me around a few times before throwing me inside a human-sized washing machine. I was practically dead on my feet, and found myself struggling to keep up with them on occasion.

You couldn't even begin to understand the relief that had flooded my body when I saw a village poking up over the horizon. It encouraged me to use up the last of my strength, pulsing chakra down, into my legs so that I could dart to the head of our group, next to Kakuzu. I thought I heard a chuckle, most likely one of them laughing at my sudden enthusiasm. I couldn't bring myself to find out who, I was much too excited about the prospect of sleeping in a bed and eating a meal that wasn't an innocent bunny.

We got our way into the village, and we began to look for an inn. Kakuzu, of course, was bargain hunting. He found the cheapest inn he could find. The place looked like it was slightly rotting, and on the inside it smelled of dirt, alcohol, and smoke. I wrinkled my nose slightly, and found myself hiding behind Hidan. The men inside the inn were looking up and down my attire, and I felt more disgusted with each glance I got.

Hidan and Kakuzu seemed to notice the stares, and had begun to glare down any one whose eyes would wander our way. I clutched the elbow of Hidan's cloak, feeling myself grow smaller with each stare. I had felt so on top of the world during my training, but at that moment I wasn't so sure if I could put it all to good use. The way these men looked at me, I felt almost powerless.

I swallowed my fear, internally frowning at how weak I was acting. I let go of Hidan's sleeve and straightened up. I looked around the room, my eyes hard. I was feeling much stronger, as though I actually had a spine to support myself with. I met almost every pair of eyes that had wandered in my direction, seeing various shades of blues, greens, and hazels. My heart, however, seemed to freeze as my gaze ran over a golden pair of eyes. My eyes snapped back to look at them, but they, and their owner, seemed to be gone. I slowly began to breath again, but felt a bit more on edge.

I waited back with Hidan as Kakuzu got us a room, finding it safe to continue to stick close to one of them. The sight of the strangely familiar, haunting, golden eyes was itching in the back of my mind. It was like a rash, it stuck. I couldn't get the shock of seeing them out of my heart, and I could feel the frantic pounding of it deep within me.

Kakuzu wandered back to us, holding the key out to me. I took it, confused.

"We are going to ask around for more information. You can go up to the room and get some rest. You are not used to such conditions yet, and it would be best if you take it slow," Kakuzu explained.

I smiled at him thankfully. I gave both Kakuzu and Hidan and short hug before I made my way up the stairs and onto the second floor. I found our room number and unlocked the door. I opened it, slightly surprised that the condition of the room wasn't as bad as I had expected. It was a quaint room, slightly dirty but not uninhabitable.

There were two beds, which I was a bit questioning about but I brushed it off. We could worry about sleeping arrangements later. I dropped my backpack onto the bed, and walked into the small bathroom connected to the room. I turned on the shower, and placed my hand under the running water. It was freezing cold, so I left the bathroom to let the water turn warm before I decided to take my shower. A nice, warm shower would help me sleep that night.

I was emptying out my back pack when I felt the room suddenly turn a bit cold. The hair on the back of my neck prickled as I felt someone staring at the back of my head. I froze, and turned around hauntingly slow. There was no one there when my eyes finally reached behind me, causing me to release a slow breath. I began to walk back towards the shower, a new set of clothing in my hands, when I felt a startling chakra signature flare to life just a foot behind me. It overwhelmed me and over-shadowed my own chakra.

I span around frantically, only to feel a sharp strike to the back of my neck.

The world span around me as I limply fell into the arms of my assailant, and through my fading vision I could see a golden pair of eyes fixed onto my own emerald pair. My vision cut off, and my eyes slid down for my lashes to gentle touch my cheeks. As my consciousness began to float away from me, I could hear a faint whisper float through my ears.

"An Akatsuki rose... What a lovely present you'll make for my Sasuke-kun..."

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><p><strong>Piper: ...Dun dun duuuunnn... XD<strong>

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	12. Caged

**Piper: Hi everyone! Thank you all for your reviews, favorites, and alerts!**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p><span>Chapter 12 - Caged<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

It was dark.

That was the first thing I noticed when I came back to consciousness. My body felt tired, drained almost. I tried to figure out what was wrong, pulling at my chakra to try and motivate my body. That was when I noticed that my chakra was practically nothing. I had a small, tiny bit that was so small that it was inaccessible. All I had left in my chakra was store was an unusable little piece that wouldn't do anything. My body wasn't used to the lack of strength, and everything felt tired.

I tried to move my hands, which were oddly resting above my head, only to feel the biting pull of cold metal against my wrists. I whimpered as a flash of pain spiked through my bones. I struggled desperately, a wave a panic washing over my like a tsunami. I pulled against my restraints with all of my weak strength, the light clanking of chains accompanying each movement and pull. With each pull, the more the metal dug into my skin. Tears began to well in my eyes, and I continued to try and escape the binds around my wrists.

The tears escaped when I felt blood trickle down both of my arms. I had pulled until my skin had went raw, and the metal had cut through the tender skin. Each bead of blood that slithered down my arm made me shiver in disgust, and I fought the urge to throw up. I was happy that I couldn't see the blood, because something told me that seeing myself bleeding at the wrists would bring back bad memories. Those memories were the last thing I needed to sink into at the time.

I stopped pulling after the pain became unbearable. I had hurt myself more then I had the chains, and my raw wounds were throbbing by the time my fit was over. I sat in the dark, the silence roaring in my ears overshadowing my soft sobbing. I tried desperately to wipe my face onto my shoulder, the tears making my face sticky and most likely red.

My body shivered violently when a drop of sticky red blood dripped from above, splashing onto my cheek. I cried, scared, and tried to wipe it away from my face.

I pursed my quivering lips harshly, and closed my eyes. I took in a few deep, heaving breaths. I continued to breath in and out until my mind cleared up, and I could think rationally again. I calmed myself, my sobbing leaving a dull ache in my stomach. Tears continued to stream down my face, but there wasn't anything I could do to stop them. At least, then, I was thinking more clearly.

My eyes opened, and I glanced around in the darkness around me. I couldn't see anything, it was much to dark. I shifted my body against the stone floor, uncurling my legs and resting my back against the wall. I had slept in a cramped position, leaving everything slightly sore. My arms, despite their bleeding, were almost completely numb from being chained above my head from so long.

Taking I deep breath, I closed my eyes slowly. I pulled some of my memories forth, trying to think of who might've taken me and why I was here. I remembered the golden eyes, and I remembered the fear I felt when I was loosing consciousness inside the inn room Kakuzu had rented. My heart ached at the thought of Kakuzu, which had led to thoughts of Hidan and the rest of the Akatsuki.

_'Where were they?'_

_'Were they okay?'_

_'Were they looking for me?'_

_'Did they care that I was missing?'_

These thoughts raced through my mind, but all they did was bring me hopelessness. The more I dwelled on the possibility that the Akatsuki may not be looking for me, or care that I had been kidnapped, the more I drained and sad I felt. I didn't want to be a damsel in distress, I told myself. I wanted to fight my way out of here, but I had absolutely no strength to draw from. No physical strength, and no mental strength. The Akatuski had prepared me for a lot in the ninja world, but this was the one thing they couldn't personally teach me: How to survive different scenarios of being kidnapped.

I heard a sudden, startlingly loud clank of metal come from the other side of the room. There was a loud, haunting creak as a door was opened. A bright, blinding light spilled into the room through the opened door. My eyes widened fearfully, watching as a dark silhouette appeared in the door frame.

**Pein**

I tapped my finger against my desk rapidly, before I caught myself in the action and sighed. I pulled my hands away from my paper work and ran my fingers through my hair. I stretched my back tiredly and then cracked my neck to relief some of the stress. I honestly didn't have much to sort through except for a few bill payments that I had to document and send to some neglectful residents of Amegakure. The little paperwork wasn't what had me stressed, however.

Placing a hand to my temple, I saw flashes of pink dance through my mind. My forehead creased, and I tried to rub the crease away along with the worry. For the past day a hollow feeling had settled into my stomach. Something felt wrong, and I felt angry that I didn't know what it was.

I was about to retreat into my room for a relaxing nap, when I felt two familiar, lightly strained chakra signatures approaching. My back straightened and my face wiped blank. I waited for them to make their way to the door, anticipation building up inside of me. I didn't give them a chance to answer before I called them in, my eyes trained on the door.

Hidan and Kakuzu filed into the room, and something was missing.

Kakuzu opened his mouth, but I cut in. "Where is she?"

They fell silent, and I felt myself grown tense. My eyes grew cold, and I stood up from my chair. I stalked around it, nearing them with a threatening intent.

"Where. Is. She?" I ground out lowly, controlling my voice to the best of my ability.

Kakuzu spoke first, his eyes darting towards the floor, "When we made to the village our first bounty was rumored to be near, I bought an inn room. She isn't used to traveling, so we offered her to stay in the inn room and take a nap while we went information searching. When we came back, she was gone. We searched everywhere around the hotel and the village, and we asked if anyone had seen her be taken. No one saw anything, and we do not know where she has gone."

With each word I grew more tense, and at the tend of his short story I found myself wanting to wring their necks.

"You will be punished, but first we must find Sakura," I growled, "Call the other Akatsuki to the meeting room. Tell them that if they aren't there I'll break every bone in their arms and leave them to heal naturally, akin to the punishment I'm going to give to you two for loosing her."

They nodded, and were gone from my sight in an instant. I couldn't believe the irresponsibility of my members. I couldn't believe that they let her out of there sight, and the fact that they could find no clue to her disappearance disgusted me on the inside. My arm shook, and I threw kicked out at my desk. It smashed into pieces, sending paper flying into the air.

**Sakura Haruno**

My heart was frozen inside my chest, and my lungs stopped functioning. I watched, eyes glittering, as the figure entered the room. Their shoes thudded against the stone ground, and my heart jump started when they shut the door behind them. I pressed myself against the wall in fear, eyes darting around wildly. I heard the feet approaching me slowly, tauntingly.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up as chills ran down my spine. That terrifying, organ freezing feeling that someone was in the room with you was pulsing through me. But, thinking that someone was in the room and _knowing_, were two totally different things. Thinking, frightened you. Knowing, terrified you to brink of hysterics.

A footstep founded right next to me, making me cry out. I swung out my leg in reflex, twisting my wrists painfully against my binds. The person gracefully dodged, and suddenly reached for me. Their hands picked me up by my middle and set me onto my unsteady feet, before slamming me against the wall. My head cracked against it painfully, and tears leaked from the corners of my eyes.

"Who are you?" A deep, velvety tone asked into my ear.

Fear rolled down my spine in violent waves. This tone held no emotion, no tone. It was nothing but the sound of pure, velvet ice. The tone hummed beautifully, but was completely tainted by an under-tone so cold that it could've solidly froze the strongest flame. It was almost like the coldness of his voice could've turned a volcano dormant.

I bit my tongue painfully, not willing to give in.

His hand gripped my arm, pulling the cuffs around my wrists, and squeezed painfully. I grit my teeth, holding back the sob that threatened to spill past my lips. Through my teeth, I seethed out, "Sakura Haruno."

The grip on my arm only loosened slightly, but that was enough relief for me.

"Where is the Akatsuki base?" He questioned next.

"Fuck you," I spat in response, feeling another tear roll down my cheek.

The person pulled away from me quickly. I had one second, one pure moment of relief, before my face suddenly felt as though it were on fire. My head slammed to the side, feeling his palm slap me across my cheek. The tears held up in my eyes fell down, leaving a stinging path down my injured cheek. The whole left side of my face felt like it was aflame, a painful stinging throbbing through my cheek.

I heard the person walk away a few feet, and there was a sudden _'whoosh'_ of a flame. The room was dimly lit by a candle, allowing me to see the person who had just slapped my.

Sasuke Uchiha stood next to a rickety wooden table, his crimson eyes trained on the flame dancing atop the stick of wax. He glanced at me, and his eyes seemed to flicker slightly as he took in my appearance. Slowly, he turned back towards me and began to stalk forward. I struggled against my bonds, feeling more blood trickle down my arms.

"Where is the Akatsuki base?" He questioned, coming closer once more.

"I don't know," I whispered truthfully, my voice cracking at the dry feeling in my throat.

Sasuke pulled his hand back, and I flinched violently as a familiar, abused feeling rose up in me. An image of my teacher's dead body flashed through my mind, along with all of the pain she inflicted upon me in her time of living. I knew, however, that Sasuke could do so much worse then Mrs. Kane. He had super strength, and with these binds and no chakra, I had no way of preventing him from striking me.

He hand stilled, and his eyes examined my reaction almost curiously.

I looked at him through my choppy bangs, my body shaking in fear.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at me slowly, before he reached into his open shirt. I flinched once more, but he didn't pause from retrieving a small item. He reached forward, and I awaited mistreatment. I was surprised to feel him fiddling with my cuffs. I couldn't stop the relief that filled me when I heard the click and I could let my hands fall to my side.

He took ahold of my arm and led me towards the table. He forced me into a seat and left the room. For a moment, I was filled with hope, but after a second of his retreat the lock on the door clicked tauntingly. I shivered to myself, feeling cold. For a few moments, I sat in silence. I hoped that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't come back.

I had no such luck, and after a few minutes passed the door unlocked and opened once more. Sasuke walked in, a bowl carefully balanced in one hand. He moved towards the table and set the bowl onto the table, and I noticed a wet rag floating inside water. He pulled out a towel and roll of bandages. He didn't bother asking, but forcefully pulled my injured wrists toward him.

Sasuke pulled the rag from the water, rung it out carefully, and began to wipe away at the blood staining my arms, hands, and wrists. I watched him work with widened eyes.

I couldn't help but revel at the touch of the warm rag, the clean feeling it created on my skin refreshing and welcome.

"When Orochimaru told me that you were only a pet of the Akatsuki, I thought he was kidding," Sasuke said, scowling as he dabbed almost gently at my wrists.

Anger flashed though me, and I tried to pull myself away from his touch. He glared at me, holding onto my now clean hands harshly.

"Do you want these wounds treated? I could care less if the wounds got infected and you died," He said, his tone almost bored.

I let myself simmer slowly, staring straight into his eyes. I tried searching them, but could find nothing but crimson snow. Slowly, I let him take my hands once more. He began to clean once more, his eyes occasionally glancing up at me from his work. As I watched him work, I found myself growing homesick, but almost curious at the thought bouncing around inside my mind.

_Am I just a pet to the Akatsuki?_

**Pein**

I stared at them all, my eyes hard. I rose from my seat slowly, and saw their eyes follow me through the motion.

"Well?" I said coldly, "What are you waiting for? Go!"

They disappeared from their seats, leaving me alone in the room. I expanded my chakra, monitoring them from afar. I watched as they all paced around their room, packing. Occasionally they would appear in the kitchen to pack some of the few foods items we had, before team by team they left the base. I monitored them as far my chakra would stretch, and once they were all out of my range I moved to my room. I packed my own bag, and headed out. I went towards the village, ready to place a bounty poster out for our female member.

A part inside of me ached at the loss, and wanted to join the search in finding her. But, I couldn't. I needed to monitor the organization and make sure nothing went wrong.

Even though a rather large part of me was confident we would find her, that part was also feeling sick at the possibility of _where_ we would find her.

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><p><strong>Piper: Done! I hope you guys like the chapter!<strong>

**Please review!**


	13. Pet

**Piper: Sorry I'm late, I know!**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p><span>Chapter 13 - Pet<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

When Sasuke was done with my bandaging, he led me from my cell. He was silent the whole time, his face blank as he drug me down dark and damp hallways by my wrists. I stumbled a few times, noticing that he was actually quite taller then I am, therefor he took larger steps then my own. A few times I would see a snake slither past us, sending shivers and jolts down my spine. Sasuke didn't seem bothered by them, however, and it almost seemed like the snakes had a respect for him.

I tried to memorize my way down the hallways. I memorized each turn and whether we went straight or not.

Suddenly, we stopped in front of grand double door way. Sasuke lifted a fist and rapped his knuckles against the wood. I couldn't help but notice that even the tune of his knocking was stoic and without enthusiasm. There was a moment of pause, before a short reply came. It sounded like shredded silk, a hiss of breath, and it sent chills rolling down my spine.

Sasuke opened the door easily, and pulled me inside. The room we entered was extremely dark, but in the center was a dimly lit desk. Sitting behind the desk was the one person I had hoped that I wouldn't meet in this world.

Orochimaru looked over at us with his pale lips quirked into a lazy smirk, his golden eyes following our every movement as we entered. His ebony black hair fell around him like a curtain, framing his wicked face. I felt unnerved with his eyes on me, and I could tell that he enjoyed knowing what kind of reaction he could rouse out of people.

"Hello, Sasuke-kun," The snake greeted, tilted his pale face in a small nod.

Sasuke said nothing in return, his eyes gazing at Orochimaru with a dead stare.

Orochimaru turned his eyes to me and I felt myself shrink underneath his chilling gaze. Those golden eyes were the same ones I had saw back at the inn, and his voice was the same haunting chill that I remembered. Only now that I could see him he seemed much more frightening, and he knew that. He knew the kind of reaction he could give me, and I saw the satisfaction in his eyes.

"Hello, Sakura-chan," He said softly and my whole spine shook with disgust and fear.

I didn't reply, trying to pull my eyes away from his. They were captivating like Pein's, but not in a good way. Pein was ever so cold, but I was familiar with him. I was used to his presence and his personality, and I trusted him. Despite his cold nature on the outside, some how I could see the warmth inside when I looked into Pein's ringed eyes. I could feel it with all of the Akatsuki, but here I felt nothing. Looking into Orochimaru's eyes brought back every buried nightmare and fear, and their gold depths were almost suffocating.

"Now now, don't try to hide from me," Orochimaru said lightly, his lips quirking in a smirk as he watched me try to maneuver myself behind Sasuke's taller form.

I didn't like the way he spoke. It was always like a purr or hiss, and either coming from him made my stomach churn. I held my stomach down, however, refusing to let myself unravel completely.

"Did she say anything?" Orochimaru turned to Sasuke, his voice suddenly turning more serious and tight. His personality was like the picture on a coin, it could change with a sudden flip.

Sasuke shook his head, his dark hair swaying with the movement, and spoke, "Nothing."

Orochimaru's eyes slid away from the Uchiha and to my form, and his mouth opened to let out a mumbled of, "Hmm..."

I felt myself slowly reverting back. The Akatsuki trained me for a lot of things, but nothing like getting kidnapped by Orochimaru. I felt myself growing small and insignificant. I wanted nothing more than to curl up and cry, but the new me refused. The new me protested at this weakness, and tried to pull forth some back bone to support me. I was conflicted between two different people. The me that wanted to break down and plead to be let, and the other me that would rather go down fighting than plead.

"You can keep her, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru said with a smirk, "Like an adorable little pet."

I felt some bile rise in my throat, but swallowed it down.

Sasuke seemed to scoff slightly, "How do we know that she isn't just lying?"

Orochimaru's eyes flicked between Sasuke and I, before they rested on me. He contemplated for a moment, before his lips twisted upwards. He opened his mouth and spoke in an amused tone, "No, she looks much to fragile and useless to be a real member. Unless, the Akatsuki have gotten soft." He seemed very amused at the thought of Akatsuki going soft.

Anger rose up in me, and I balled my hands into fists. I wanted to punch that smirk right off his face, and pummel his disgusting body into the ground. I knew that even will full chakra I wouldn't be able to take out the snake Sannin, but just landing one hit would've filled me with a great sense of satisfaction.

Sasuke looked at me, and seemed to contemplate Orochimaru's words. Finally, he shrugged his shoulders and nodded, before speaking, "You're right."

My face twisted into one of pure anger, causing one of Sasuke's eyebrows to arch slightly. My fist trembled, and I felt it becoming hard for me to breathe as my anger swelled. I closed my eyes for a few seconds to calm myself down, and looked away from the two pairs of curious eyes that were watching me.

I didn't like being belittled so much. After all the training I went through, I was assumed weak because of my appearance. Not that my frightened nature helped my image, but I couldn't believe that I went through so much only to be belittled by a suspicious snake man and an Uchiha that had been willing to betray the only people who cared about him for power. Neither of them seemed to have the room to make assumptions, but they did have the power. And that was the only thing that prevented me from trying to punch either of them in the jaw.

"A little temper, I see," Orochimaru mused, steepling his fingers and resting his chin atop of them. His golden eyes were glazed as they gazed upon me, like looking at foggy glass. "You might be useful to us if we can find a way to harness that temper of yours. For the meantime you can keep her, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke didn't honor the snake man with a good bye as he turned to exit the room, making sure to grab onto my wrist during his exit. He drug me back out into the hallway, but instead of taking the path we did before Sasuke began to lead me in the opposite direction. I felt my breath becoming short again, but not from anger. The realization of exactly what could become of me was hitting, and I realized that there literally was no escape, not with out my chakra.

The new path we took revealed people. People walked down the halls and nodded at Sasuke, who didn't return the greeting for any. Once they had greeting Sasuke slightly, their eyes would fall on me. Different shades of prying eyes and multiply reactions to my presence made me stick closer to Sasuke then I would've preferred at that moment. A few of the male Sound ninja we would pass seemed very suspicious to me, and I wouldn't want to be caught near them without my chakra. I wouldn't trust this place even if I hadn't known the story line of Naruto, because the whole place reeked of something dark and terrible.

Sasuke turned the corner and entered what seemed to be a hallway of bedrooms, because each door was labeled with a plaque. I felt my curiosity rise, but looked away from them. I knew what terrors lurked in Orochimaru's grasp, and some of the people that worked for him were more despicable then others. It was best if I kept my nose away from where they lurked and slept. Even just the knowledge of knowing where they slept could cause me nightmares.

The Uchiha stopped in front of one of the room doors, opening it easily and pushing me inside with one hand. I stumbled into the darkness, and the Uchiha watched me from the doorway. His dark eyes examined me carefully, before he stepped out of the room and closed the door, enclosing me in the darkness of his room.

Stunned, I scrambled to the door, only to find myself locked inside and listening to the haunting tune of the Uchiha's faint steps walking away from the door. I pounded against the frame, wishing that I could summon some chakra to bust my way through. I couldn't believe that he'd just dumped me in his room and then left me.

Sighing loudly, I felt my way through the darkness until I found his bed. I contemplated laying on it, surely the mattress would help sooth the aches I felt from sleeping on the stone ground, but felt myself disgusted by the thought of even touching anything my captor had. Instead, I slid down to the floor next to the bed. The carpet was soft enough to feel more comfortable then the stone ground of my old cell, and now that my arms were free I could cushion my head with arms.

Within seconds of closing my eyes, I found myself slipping into sleep.

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><p>"Get up."<p>

I cracked open one eyes tiredly, peaking up from my arm. The room was dimly lit with the orange glow of a few candles, and Sasuke Uchiha stood over me. His eyes were staring at me oddly, as if wondering why the hell I was on the floor when there was a bed right next to me.

Rising tiredly, I yawned tiredly and rubbed the heels of my hands against my eyes. I stretched carefully as I slowly rose into a standing position, slightly wobbly on my feet. When I was done with trying to wake my sleeping muscles, I looked up into the eyes of the Uchiha. We stared at each other for a moment, and I took that time to examine his features. I could tell by just looking at him that he was at least one or two years older then I. His face a beautiful structure to it and he was very handsome, but I wasn't one to swoon over looks like the rest. Currently, his personality disgusted me and that tainted every fiber of his being.

Sasuke scoffed, turning away from me and gesturing towards the desk near the other side of the room. Sitting on top of the desk was a plate of food. It was still warm, a small cloud of steam rising from the plate. I moved towards it slowly, watching Sasuke suspiciously. As I sat on the desk, he sat down on the bed. We stared at each other for a few more moments, before I turned towards the food and began to eat.

It was no fine cuisine, I could tell from the start, so instead of tasting the food I simply swallowed and marveled in the feeling of gaining a full stomach. I ate as slow as my stomach would allow me, saving in the food yet not the taste. The couple of times that the food would touch my tongue I would find myself feeling a bit put off, but I didn't stop eating. I didn't know how often I would be fed, and I made sure that each bite of food was in my stomach before I quit. I would rather eat tasteless food then starve.

When I finished eating, I carefully dabbed at my mouth with the thin, cheap napkin provided and stacked it onto my plate along with my silverware. I slowly turned from the desk, glancing at Sasuke. His eyes were on me, and I felt my face heat up at the thought of him watching me the entire time I had been eating.

"What?" I asked slowly, "You look like you expect me to jump you."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly, "I've dealt with girls like you, and the last thing I want is another fangirl trying to get in my pants when I'm not looking."

"Girls like me?" I said quietly, offended, "Don't compare me to a fangirl, and don't flatter yourself so much. You may have your looks, but even a turtle could beat you in a personality contest."

I never really believed in fangirling. Maybe in the privacy of your own mind, but being so open with practically giving yourself away to someone because of their looks disgusted me. I may not have been the strongest back in my world, but I did know what dignity was. And in my opinion, dignity was not swooning and offering yourself to a person in such a degrading way.

Sasuke's eyes snapped towards me, and very deep within their depths I could see him torn between anger and amusement.

He stared into my eyes for a few moments, before he tore his eyes away from mine and lowered himself into a laying position on his bed. He threw his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling. Finally, I grew tired of watching the Uchiha slowly fall asleep and went back to my position on the floor. I settled myself into a comfortable position, curling up on the carpet with my arm as my pillow once more.

Just as I began to fall asleep once more I felt myself being lifted from the floor and placed on a bed, and the warmth of covers placed over my small form.

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><p><strong>Piper: Once again, sorry it took so long, but I've been busy with school and stuff.<strong>

**Please review!**


	14. Shell

**Piper: Sorry, I'm still trying to get back on my normal time, but don't worry I won't give up on any of my current fanfiction. My newest story, Love the Fall, is going to be a short story. Do me a favor and check it out if you can :D**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p><span>Chapter 14 - Shell<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

My eyes stayed closed as my body slowly began to awaken, and I inhaled deeply. I stretched in my bed, only to find myself restrained. I frowned slightly, and wriggled, thinking that my waist was caught in the covers. Finally, I cracked my sleepy eyes open and glanced around. I propped myself up on my elbows the best that I could, and looked around dizzily.

A head of messed up black hair was poking out from the covers next to me. My head rolled on my shoulders as I frowned sleepily. I reached for the edge of the covers and pulled them back. I snapped to attention when I saw a certain Uchiha attached to my waist, his face threatening to slide off the edge of his pillow. The gesture didn't seem perverted to me, and I almost got a sense of child-like innocence. It made sense. His parents were killed when he was at a young age, and he spent all his time awake being strong. It didn't surprise me to much that he was actually clingy in his sleep.

Despite the clinging, his face held none of the innocence the gesture suggested. His face was as blank as an unused sheet of paper. It almost looked as though he were just awake with his eyes closed, but I could tell by the slow rising and falling of his chest that he was still under the influence of sleep. The edges of his face were lined with ice, his cold nature swallowing the whole theory of his lingering childhood innocence.

My lips pursed slight. He was my captor, and to be quite honest he had never been my favorite person from the Anime. In fact, he had annoyed me to some point because of how willing he threw away everything good he had gained for power. But, at that moment, he was human. He wasn't a drawing in a manga panel, or a simple animation. He was a real human being, and his past was quite the horrific one. His one brother, the one he looked up to and loved, slaughtered the rest of his family and urged Sasuke to hate him. I knew that Itachi wasn't completely in the wrong, but urging Sasuke to hate was the worst thing he could have done to him.

I blinked tiredly, before letting out a long sigh. I was going to be stuck in that place for quite some time, and I knew that I would have to be strong.

Slowly, I rested myself back into the plush mattress. Sasuke moved slightly in his sleep, and his face slide from the pillow and onto my shoulder. The warmth of his cheek almost burned upon my shoulder, but I ignored it. He would certainly tear himself away from me once he woke, and I would pretend along with him that he hadn't been even close enough to touch me.

Behind my closed eye lids, I could see the faces of the Akatsuki. My heart thumped painfully in my chest at thought of them, and the thought that they may not even be looking for me. I thought of all the time we had spent together, and I felt like hurting myself for the first time in a long period of time. Whether it be because I was stupid enough to believe that anyone could care for me, or that I was stupid enough to get myself caught and taken from the only people who had ever made me feel like my life was worth living.

A hot tear escaped my eye, and trailed down my cold cheek. I didn't bother to catch it, and I felt his soak a small spot on the pillow near my head. Faintly my, arm ached, and I felt myself suffocating in my thoughts. I wanted to stop thinking, but, then again, at that moment I just wanted to stop breathing all together. Thoughts of my past actions, my past abuse, and my current problem wouldn't leave my mind no matter how hard I tried to make them stop.

Trying to stop my self-torture was like trying to stop the bleeding of a severe, gaping wound with a band-aid.

More tears slid down the sides of my face, making the pillow itchy and wet. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, and willed my self to go back to sleep. I tried so hard to call sleep to my mind, but it ended up doing was bringing me a head-ache. I felt myself falling apart, and I wanted to feel pain. I wanted to feel something other then the emotional pain that threatened to shatter me like I was a mirror.

I opened my eyes, releasing more tears, and glanced around me. My eyes landed on Sasuke, who now looked wide awake and was staring at me with emotionless, ebony colored eyes. His eyes shifted slowly as they followed a tear down my cheek. He watched the tear die upon impact on the pillow. He glanced at me once more, before he tore himself from the bed. He stood and moved into the bathroom on the other side of the room.

Embarrassment burned me, and I balled my hand into a fist. I wanted nothing more then death at that moment.

Once the fool, always the fool.

**Pein**

I stared out into the thick shroud of rain falling over Amegakure, eyes blank. I could feel the rain around me, but never once did it touch my skin. I could hear its angry pitter-patter, and I felt the rain's anger within myself. I expected at least something by now. Any piece of news or trail that they even had the slightest inkling of where she was or who took her, but no Akatsuki member had reported back to me yet.

Turning, I moved away from the opened balcony and into my office. This office desk was a bit cleaner then the one I had back at the base, but only because I took most of my work there. I shoved my chair out of the way, my face blank. I reached for the handle of the bottom drawer and pulled it out. Reaching inside, I felt my hands close around a smooth, wooden box.

I pulled my hand out, the item clutched in my palm. I moved back towards the balcony, looking down into my hands. I moved my thumb over the edge of the box before sticking the tip of my thumb under it, popping open the lid. Inside sat a ring. It was similar to the ring on my right thumb, except for the coloring. I pulled the silver ring out and stared at its face. It glared back at me, it's deep meaning printed on it filling me what almost felt like guilt.

The circle of the face was pure ebony, and the symbol in the center was painted upon in a vibrant crimson. The kanji for the word 'Worth' stared back at my, and my mind drifted to our missing member.

**Sakura Haruno**

For the first two weeks of my stay in Orochimaru's base, I fell into a routine. I was to sit in Sasuke's room and stare at nothing, maybe eat when and if I was given food. Sasuke hardly spoke at all, and I felt myself feeling almost sick. Sick of not only myself, but of the lack of human necessities. I craved to see sunlight instead of slimy, damp walls. I craved for something that could actually be classified as food. The most important of them all, I craved an escape. What way, shape, or form no longer mattered to me.

"You seem to be wallowing in self pity a lot more," Sasuke commented one day in my second week.

"You're one to talk," I shot back, my face twisted into a frown.

The Uchiha narrowed his eyes, and his hand twitched slightly. It wouldn't be the first time that he had lashed out at me for my mouth. That day he interrogated me wasn't the last time he hit me, and I found a few bruises forming on my arms. I reverted to the scared, small child I used to be every time he hit me. I could feel the sting of growing up without parents, the pain of being abused by a figure of authority, and the realization of finding myself not even a human being anymore.

I sat on the floor, refusing to share the bed with the Uchiha any more then I had to. I watched with a frown as my hip bones protruded slightly, the lack of proper eating scarring my body with imperfections. I was tired almost all the time. Half of that problem, however, was because of my lack of chakra. I had finally figure out what exactly was keeping my chakra levels down. A small, thin ankle bracelet on my left ankle. I had tried to tamper with it, but I had no way of picking the lock that the thing was equipped with.

"You're weak," Sasuke said suddenly, and I looked at him.

My face rose into a snarl. "Well, Mr. Uchiha," I said sarcastically, a look of mock shock on my face, "What makes you say that? Maybe it's the fact that I get hit by you every time your in a mood, or the lack of food. Some people tend to have the certain necessity to eat something maybe once or twice a day."

In a flash he pulled me onto my feet, a kunai at my neck. His eyes were cold, uncaring.

Tears built up in my eyes, and I whispered, "Do it."

Something flashed in his eyes but he didn't move.

"Grant me one kindness. Get me out of your hair. Kill me," I urged, "There's no use for me to rot away in this place. I don't even know if the Akatsuki actually care enough to look for me, so what's the point if the people who taught me to care never really cared themselves? You know the feeling, don't you? Were you just feel like you want to give up and die, because it's just not worth it any more."

Sasuke raised a hand, and the blunt of his palm hit me across the cheek.

"Stop it," He stated, his voice emotionless. "You need to learn to bury the past. I can see you wallowing in it every day. Bury it, you're annoying when you sit there and cry all day."

My face twisted, and I gave him a shove. He looked slightly surprised as I pointed a finger into his face, and shouted, "What room do you have to talk about burying the past? Isn't that what your whole life goal is practically _bathed_ in? You pretend it's so easy, just like you pretend that you're strong. At least I can admit it, I can admit that I'm weak. I knew it since my teacher began to beat me senseless when she got the chance, and I had so many chances to stop her and I didn't, because I was afraid and weak.

"You, however, you hide. You hide behind this whole _mask_ of weakness. You hide what you feel inside because you're too weak to actually show it. You pretend you're the strongest damn person, but on the inside you're just like me. You're weak. Sasuke Uchiha, you're _weak_."

His eyes. They were in such a rage, and I had never seen the sharingan alight with so much emotion before. For a moment, I felt as though he were going to give in to my wishes and take my life. I didn't know whether to be happy about it any more. Despite having no room to talk, he had a point. I had always believed in never getting my hopes up, but for then it was going to have to do. I was going to have to hope that the Akatsuki did care, but I didn't hope that they would come for me. I had to do that myself, I realized that now.

Sasuke stared at me long and hard, his whole posture tense. Slowly, however, I watched him relax as though I were watching melting ice. He gave me his usually cold, now slightly suspicious, stare before the sharingan was gone from his eyes. He turned from me, and headed for the bed. He tucked himself underneath the covers without a word, and I stood alone in the darkness for a few moments.

I didn't want to share a bed with him, so I tucked myself on the floor like I had the first night. Tears threatened to come down, but I forced them away. I was done wallowing, and I was sick of feeling pathetic.

I would try my hardest to sever my bad past, even if I was given the dullest knife to do so.

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><p><strong>Piper: Sakura suffers a relapse, Pein reveals that they had an Akatsuki ring made for her, and Sakura and Sasuke bump heads and knock a little bit of sense into each other. Lovely, huh?<strong>

**I hope you liked the chapter, please review!**


	15. Closer

**Piper: Another chapter of Falling Up! I'm pretty excited.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p><span>Chapter 15 - Closer<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

My third week into captivity was when I started to plan my escape. When Sasuke would leave, I would press my ear against the door and listen to the whispers of passing ninja. Sometimes, they spoke of me. Things weren't looking up for me, as it seemed that Orochimaru had something planned for me. It was then that I knew I had to start putting things into actions. If I didn't, I might end up dead, or even worse. An experiment.

Every morning when Sasuke, who had became slightly more distant to me since our argument, would leave I would begin to tinker with ankle bracelet that was preventing me from using my chakra. I tried to find anything I could use to pick the lock, and when I did it didn't take me long to realize that the bracelet was connected to Sasuke's chakra. Only the touch of his chakra, or a chakra much stronger then his, could unlock it, so I set to thinking about I was going to get Sasuke to touch the bracelet.

Pein taught me early on that well trained ninja can control their chakra even in their sleep, so I knew that it was going to be very difficult.

I spent my time mulling over this one morning, Sasuke having left a few minutes before. I kicked my feet against the edge of the bed, my lips pursed in thought as I tried to figure out what I was going to do. My situation could've been worse, I could've still been chained to the wall like when I first woke up in Orochimaru's base. But, the little ankle bracelet was the key to the beginning of my freedom. Anything would be better then staying here, wondering when Orochimaru would decide he would have a better use for me in some kind of experimentation tank.

The lock on the door suddenly clicked, and I looked up in confusion. Sasuke normally came back hours after he would leave, and he never forgot anything. It was practically mandatory that he didn't forget anything, because it was sure that I couldn't be trusted if he left a weapon behind for me to find. I'd have escaped a lot faster if Sasuke Uchiha would've been a bit more simple minded.

A silver haired teen opened the door and stepped inside. I recognized him as Kabuto, Orochimaru's right hand man. I pushed myself further onto the bed, mistrust filling my heart. This guy, he was all over the place in the Anime and Manga from what I remembered. His loyalties were one big mystery, so much so that he probably didn't even know them himself. That probably _was_ his only loyalty. Himself.

Kabuto saw my weariness of him, and give me a creeper smile. A chill scratched at my spine, and I found myself wanting to punch the fake smile right off his lips. It looked so odd, the way his smile looked on his face. His lips turned, and his expression turned soft. His eyes squinted in the motion, shielded away from the world by his glasses.

"Hello, Sakura. Orochimaru-sama would like to see you," Kabuto said, his face still soft from his fake smile.

"Orochimaru?" I asked softly, my eyebrows drawing together in worry. Perhaps I was to late to make my escape plan.

Kabuto motioned for me to follow him, I lowered myself from the bed. I followed him out of the room, and my whole body shivered when my bare toes touched the cold, stone hallway. We passed a few ninja on the way, and I was quite surprise to see a few I recognized from the Anime. Their names, however, slipped my worried mind. I was to busy questioning whether it was to late for me now, and if I would soon become something monstrous at Orochimaru's commands.

We stopped at the same double door entrance that Sasuke had lead me to once before. Orochimaru's study.

Kabuto rapped his glove covered knuckles against the wood of the door. There was a faint reply, and Kabuto opened the door for me. I padded inside slowly and Kabuto followed behind me, closing the door.

Orochimaru sat behind his desk, whilst Sasuke stood in front of it. They looked at us upon our entrance, and Orochimaru's face slid into a silky smirk.I felt his hauntingly golden eyes rest on me as I stopped in the middle of the room. Kabuto gave me a sharp jab in the back, making move forward until I almost stood at Sasuke's side.

"Hello, Sakura," Orochimaru said softly, his slitted pupils staring right into my own.

I didn't reply, glancing between him and Sasuke. I was slightly suspicious of why the Uchiha was present for this.

"Sasuke-kun tells me that you seem to know some things," Orochimaru began, his lips stretching into a larger smirk, "Things that you shouldn't know."

The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I mentally smacked myself. I hadn't been smart enough to shield away my knowledge of this world. I was too stupid and careless with what I said, and know they were suspicious of me. I was terrified then. Terrified of being in a room with three male ninja who could do what ever they wanted to me, because I had no strength to fight them off.

There was a knock on the door, and Orochimaru called for them to enter. A boy, looking almost more malnourished and not taken care of then I, scurried into the room. He held a platter in his hands, and he placed it on the desk in front of me at Orochimaru's commands. He bowed so lowly that his nose almost touched the floor, before he practically ran from the room. Orochimaru chuckled at the boys obvious fear, before he focused his snake-like eyes on me.

"Are you hungry, Sakura?" Orochimaru purred, and he reached for the lid of the platter.

I had never been so hungry before in my life, which was saying something because of my life situation in the other word. But, my sense of dignity would not allow me to attack the plate of food that Orochimaru revealed. This was actual food. I could identify the ingredients that made the stew, and the attractive steam that rose up from it made my stomach ache. I wanted to eat it, but I refused.

"I don't accept bribes," I whispered, realizing the situation at hand.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "Are you positive that you will not tell us anything?"

"As positive as my blood type," I said with a mocking smile.

A sickening grin plastered onto his face. His sickeningly pale features darkened greatly, and his eye lit with a internal fire so strong and terrifying that it almost seemed to freeze me like ice. The snake-man motioned to Kabuto, and I felt a striking blow to the back of my skull. My eyes rolled into the back of my head, and I fell to the floor.

**Unknown**

We jumped through the trees as fast we could, even though we knew that we would have to take a break some time. In fact it would be a long time before we even knew _where_ our destination was, but our current lead had hope burning inside of us all. We were determined to find our mark, we have been for a long time. We had waiting long enough to find our missing piece, the last shard of glass to the broken mirror.

A fierce rain had started not long ago, so we took our shelter in a cave. A fire was made, and we sat around it as the wind howled outside out campsite like a fierce wolf. I listened to it like it was a piece of great music, even though I had never been one to sit still and just listen to the earth around me. But, today I was different. I would listen, and I would care. The hope inside of me made my eyes, and ears, open up to the world around me.

My determination was pure.

_'We're coming to bring you back.'_

**Sakura Haruno**

My head throbbed painfully. The pain pulsed in sinc with my abnormally loud heart beat, which was pounding in my ears like a drum. They played their thriving melody with a certain proficiency that almost made the pain beautiful.

I swallowed dryly, and cracked my eyes open. A dim light hung above me, and even its small intensity hurt my brain. I moved my sore neck around on my shoulders, and attempted to life my hands. I found my wrists bound to the chair I sat upon, along with my ankle to the legs. My eyes shut it agony as I realized just what kind of room I was in, and what kind of situation I was currently in due to my big mouth. I felt the pressure of tears push against my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

"Hello, Sakura."

I didn't open my eyes, but greeted the voice back, "Kabuto."

I could feel his presence around the room. He moved around, and I could hear the clinking of metal as he tinkered around. The room was cold, I noticed, but my body felt warm. I heard Kabuto approach me, and I cracked open my eyes. He was fiddling with a syringe, flicking the end of the needle with his pointer finger. I felt my heart speed up at the sight of the needle, my heart rate accelerating greatly.

"Things would be so much easier if you just told us what you know, Sakura," Kabuto scolded, and began to get closer with the needle held in his hand.

I struggled slightly, eyes widening. He smirked, and reached for my arm. His fingers were colder then ice, and I gasped at his touch. He found my vein easily, and slowly, ever so slowly, he moved the needle into my arm. I almost hyperventilated at the prick of my skin, and gazed at the needle with horror. The vial it was attached to was filled with a forest green liquid. I watched with slight horror as Kabuto's finger pressed to the top of the shot and began to inject the liquid into my blood stream.

Then the burning began.

My back arched away from the back of the chair, and I threw my head back in an animalistic scream of agony. Pure pain was all I felt. It started in the arm he had injected the shot into, but as the minutes passed it crawled all over my body. My hands and fingers were clenched so tightly that I could feel the blood leaking from my palms. I could hardly feel anything else but the pain, and the only thing I could hear was the sound of my own scream and the pumping of blood.

Slowly, the pain began to settle, but my whole body felt raw and vulnerable.

"This little mixture is something we created purely for our victims. It has that little beginning effect, and then, in the aftermath any pain you feel is intensified by a rather large number," Kabuto spouted proudly, watching as I looked at him with tear filled eyes.

I tried to breath and catch my breath, but my lungs and throat ached so much that I felt like I was receiving no air. Everything was throbbing, almost as though I had just been dipped in a vat of acid. My head tingled painfully, almost as though I could feel every piece of hair on my head.

Kabuto pulled a kunai from the pouch at his side, his glasses glinting in the dim lighting. "Here, let me show you just what I mean."

He brought the kunai to the palm of my hand, which was trembling violently from the aftershock of the pain, and sliced open my palm.

Pain bloomed like a rose, and I bit my lip to stop myself from screaming again. My hand had caught fire once more, burning like my hole body had before. I watched as my hand tensed, my fingers crooked as they attempted to clench in to fists. It shook violently, and the blood shivered out of the wound on my palm and slithered down to the floor.

Kabuto looked at me, a small smirk curling the edges of his lips.

I was returned to Sasuke's room in a terrible state. I had been cleaned of blood, and my cuts had been messily healed shut. Every part of me was still aching from the shot, especially the places were Kabuto had cut me with his kunai. There was one on my face, which started from the middle of my cheek and down to my jaw. My arms. Oh, my arms. They were so littered with the agonizing scars that I could hardly move my arms. There were a few cuts on my neck and shoulders, which made it more difficult for me to room.

With a promise of another session the next day, Kabuto dropped me off in Sasuke's room.

When the door opened and closed, the Uchiha looked up from his bed. His ebony eyes took in my stiff and pained posture, and stopped when he reached my eyes. I had never felt so dead, and never felt so much less of a human. He had tortured me like a wild animal, and I feared what would happen as the days went on. My will to escape dwindled as the torture had went on.

I couldn't help but blame Sasuke to some extent. I could've dealt with the Uchiha's abuse if he wanted to know where I got my information, but instead he got Orochimaru involved. Instead, he threw me to the snake.

Slowly, I moved into the room. I made a complete path around the bed, wishing to be as far away from him as I could. I pressed my back against the wall on the other side of the room, and slid down the floor. Sasuke sat up in bed, his eyes watching me. I met his eyes easily, and felt a strong passion of hate fill me.

"I must say," I spat hatefully, "Your brother is a much more pleasant person."

In under two seconds flat, he was across the room. His arm wrapped around my neck and lifted me right off the floor. His fingers pressed into one of my cuts, and I let out a terrible scream as the pain as the cuts warmed up to an intense heat.

"Don't touch me!" I yelled, tears coming to the corners of my eyes.

He dropped me like he had just prodded a flame, his eyes slightly wider then before. I pressed my palms to my neck as I sank to the floor, and sobbed. Sasuke stood still for a minute, watching as I tried to stop the pain from flaring up any more. He slowly lowered himself to his knees, and he reached for me. I flinched violently away from his touch, fearing the fire that human interaction brought.

Sasuke's hand flickered with a green glow, which I recognized as medical jutsu. The Akatsuki had taught me advanced healing methods, but the knowledge of how to do them was useless with out my chakra. Curious of his actions, I stopped trying to dodge his touch. I felt Sasuke's chakra, and hand, touch my neck. It was a weak healing performance, but I didn't expect the Uchiha to know any advanced techniques in healing.

The cool chakra soothed the flames on my neck, and I felt him run his hands over the small scars on my neck and shoulders. Finally, he reached for the one on my cheek. The cool feeling of his chakra ghosted along the scars, I felt them heal with much more care then Kabuto's sloppy healing had done. Sasuke's free hand carefully took my arm, and he began to run his hand up and down the length of my arm. The scars slowly began to disappear, and I felt the aching slowly fade.

I looked up, into the Uchiha's eyes.

He said no words, just finished healing me before he pulled me into his arms and placed me onto his bed. He slipped in next to me, courteous enough to stick to his side of the bed. The pillows felt so welcoming, and the warmth of the blanket comforted me. The days events made me wish to cry, but knowing that maybe, just maybe, Sasuke might help made it a bit easier. Maybe he would get me out of the trouble he caused.

Maybe.

* * *

><p>For another week, I went through Kabuto's torture. Afterwards, Sasuke would take a little bit of his large chakra to heal the pain away from my wounds. Sasuke and I didn't say much to each other, but it was better then the arguing stage we had went through. Now, I actually think Sasuke seemed to enjoy the extra company. He would never admit it, I knew that. He was used to being alone and <em>strong<em>, and that _strength_ stunted his emotions.

I was sleeping quite heavily, which I did for the majority of the week because Kabuto's tortures wore my body and mind out so much, when there was a sudden loud rumble. The loud thudding of footsteps were parading up and down the halls, and Sasuke and I awoke at the same time. I crawled out of bed groggily, whilst Sasuke was almost instantly on his feet and getting dressed.

The door opened, and Kabuto strolled in. I flinched violently, tripping over my feet at his presence. He ignored me, his eyes focused on Sasuke.

"They're nearing. Orochimaru has ordered an evacuation. We know you want your confrontation, so am I here to escort Sakura to the other base," That was when his eyes hit me, and he smirked.

Sasuke shielded me from his view. "She will stay with me."

Kabuto raised an eyebrow at him, before shrugging. The silver haired teen slowly left the room, and I could properly breath again. I watched as Sasuke moved around the room, preparing his weapons and clothing. I listened as the sound of the sound ninja clearing out began to fade from my hearing. The noise in the base slowly turned to a haunting tune of silence.

My hopes, however, were skyrocketing. If they were talking about the Akatsuki, then that meant that the Akatsuki were here to save me. I was almost floating with hope.

Sasuke motioned for me to get onto his back, which made me frown slightly. Suddenly. I was tossed onto his shoulder. He clearly wasn't in the mood to argue with me, even though I was plenty ready to kick and yell at him to put me down. However, I was too preoccupied with trying to hold on to Sasuke's shoulder as he ran through the base. I gasped as we hit a set of stairs, and I realized that we would going to the surface. He opened the doors, and I saw nature for the first time in almost a month.

It was dark out, but that didn't stop it from being beautiful and relieving. I couldn't admire it for to long, however, because it was suddenly blurring around us as Sasuke took off into the forest, where a few chakra signatures were racing towards us.

As we got closer to the chakra signatures, there was a sudden boisterous yell, "_Sasuke!_ We're taking you back!"

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><p><strong>Piper: Long chapter = yay.<strong>

**Hey guys! If you take the chance to review, which I hope you do, I would like it very much if you sent me your favorite quote (whether is said or thought), or passage from any chapter in Falling Up. If it's a quote, tell me who said it. For both the passage and the quote, put a note about which chapter it's in. I'm just curious to see what your guys' favorites would be. Here's examples from this chapter:**

**Passage:**

'Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "Are you positive that you will not tell us anything?"

"As positive as my blood type," I said with a mocking smile.'

Chapter 15

**(It can be longer)**

**Quote:**

"I'd have escaped a lot faster if Sasuke Uchiha would've been a bit more simple minded." -Sakura, Chapter 15

**(It can be something that's said, thought, or in the text of how Sakura feels, hears, sees, and thinks)**

**Please Review, and if you do, tell me your favorite quote and/or passage from **'Falling Up'**!**


	16. Down

**Piper: Hiya guys! I'm so excited for this chapter!**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p><span>Chapter 16 - Down<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

I only had enough time to register the voice before Sasuke's body was impacted by a large body. I gasped as I flew from his arms and tumbled against the ground. My palms and knees were scratched open, and my back hit the trunk of a tree. I tried to focus, but my tumble through the air had left my head spinning like a tornado. I could see a blur of black and orange get thrown away from a white blob, which I recognized as Sasuke's white shirt.

My vision came back to me after a few heavy blinks, and I watched with wide eyes as a few Konoha ninja pounced into the clearing. Team Kakashi, in all there glory. For this moment, the team was one again. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sai with Kakashi as their leader. But, Sasuke was on a different side this time. It was hard for me to think that they would ever be one again, not unless Sasuke could realize that his revenge was only going to tear him, and most likely others, apart.

Naruto bounced back to his feet after being thrown away by Sasuke, his eyes hard with determination.

Sasuke brushed the blonde's look aside, turning his attention to me. His eyes scanned over my figure, as though he were searching for any wounds. I shook my head at him, letting him know that I was okay. Only then did he fully give his old team his full attention, managing to look bored while doing so.

"Sasuke, we're here to take you back!" Naruto declared.

Sasuke hardly even batted an eye. "So you've said."

I took this time to look over Team Seven, eagerly taking in their appearances. They looked just like they did on the television screen, or from within the books. I tried to take in every detail as quickly as I could without looking suspicious. Every time I saw a character I recognized my breath was taken away. They were beautiful, and were no longer just prints on a piece of paper, or a moving picture on a television screen. They were living, breathing human beings, and they were beautiful.

Naruto grit his teeth. "We'll take you by force if we have to!"

Sasuke lazily rested his hand on the handle of his sword and I knew that things were about to get ugly. I watched, startled, as both ninja began to prepare to fight. I looked down at my ankle with distaste, the ankle bracelet almost seeming to mock me with its presence. I had no chakra, and if I were to end up somehow in the middle of the fight I was as good as dead.

I was tired to the weakness. I trained for months to get strong, only to have the power stripped away from me by something as inane as a ankle bracelet. I was almost itching for a fight, itching to train. But, even if my chakra came back I would still be no good. My body was so unhealthy from lack of food, and torture. It would take a week of balancing out my body and training to get completely back to health.

Just as the fight began, I felt myself lifted into strong arms.

I gasped, instinctively throwing my arms around the person's neck. I looked at the person, and froze when I realized that I was in the arms of Kakashi Hatake. I was shielded away from epic ninja battle, which irritated me slightly. I wanted to see how the battle would turn out, and there was a small part of my heart that was concerned for Sasuke's safety. I wasn't so up to date with the anime that I would know how the battle would turn out. I knew that Naruto wouldn't kill him, but that wouldn't stop him from _hurting_ Sasuke to bring him back.

"What are you doing?" I shrieked, twisting slightly in his grasp.

Kakashi didn't say anything, he was too busy dodging an attack from Sasuke.

The Uchiha had brushed a hit of Naruto's away, and was now pointing his sword at Kakashi.

"Let her go," the Uchiha said without emotion, but had to take his focus off of us and onto Naruto once the blonde attacked once more.

The battle was once again shielded from me as Kakashi handed me to Sai. By this time I was really irritated, and I struggled wildly. At this moment, all I wanted was to be back with the Akatsuki instead of being kidnapped. First, by the Sound, and now by Konohagakure, the supposed good-guys. I was fed up, and when I felt a hard blow to the back of my neck, I was cursing like Hidan inside my mind as I drifted off.

**No Point of View**

The Uchiha narrowed his eyes as his former teacher handed the pinkette off to Sai, who struck her in the back of her neck to knock her out. He grit his teeth as his black haired ex-team mate began to escape, the unconscious girl cradled in his arms. His best guest was that they were going to take her into questioning about him once they failed to capture him and drag him home. He felt alone again. He had lived with the girl for almost a month, and he found himself used to her presence. He found himself almost _caring_. And now, the thing he cared about was being taken from him just like before.

Sasuke struck more fiercely in an attempt to recover the pink haired girl, but watched as a strained Kakashi began to drag a struggling Naruto away. The young Uchiha narrowed his eyes and chased after them, not willing to give up until Sakura was safely back in his presence. His speed was his best ally, but he cursed when he found that his old team had disappeared from sight. He stretched out his chakra, searching, before he froze.

A soft wind blew through, and an unnoticeable chill rolled down Sasuke's spine. He rolled his shoulders slightly, before tightening his grip on the handle of his sword. Behind him, there was a soft motion as two people appeared behind him. He was in slight disbelief at the timing of this occurrence. Sasuke never expected for something like this to happen so soon, and he almost felt unprepared. But, he calmed himself and flexed out his chakra. He inhaled through his nose softly, and slowly turned around.

Sharingan clashed with Sharingan.

"Hello, Itachi."

His older brother stood before him, emotionless as ever. His blue skinned partner stood at his side, a deep frown on the shark-like mans face. He was clearly unhappy about something. The young Uchiha didn't care to know, however, because his full focus was on his older brother.

"Itachi, we shouldn't have wasted time. They got away with her, and now she'll be under Konoha's protection," Kisame Hoshigaki growled angrily, staring off in the direction that the Leaf Ninja had retreated in.

The older Uchiha closed his eyes, and spoke lowly, "I know, Kisame."

Sasuke tightened his grip on his sword, preparing himself to charge for his older brother. Preparing himself, to charge for his revenge. It was time for his family to be avenged. He could still see his parents dead, bloodied bodies in his nightmares. The nightmares that the pink haired girl seemed to take away from him, the pink haired girl who was now gone.

The older Uchiha opened his eyes, and spoke, startling the younger of the last Uchiha members.

"Sasuke, we need to talk."

**Team Seven**

"What are you _doing_? I had him, Kakashi-sensei, I _HAD_ HIM!" Naruto growled rabidly, struggling against his teacher's grasp, his face contorted in anger.

"Naruto, the Akatsuki were near. It's my duty to make sure that they don't catch you, and besides, we got the girl and she might know a few things that will help us find Sasuke again. Now calm down," Kakashi ordered, and once he was sure that the Kyuubi container was calm and wouldn't go sprinting back, he released the hold he had on his collar.

"Sai, how hard did you hit her?" Kakashi asked his other pupil.

The emotion-confused boy looked down at the girl in his arms, before looking back up and shrugging, "My guess is that she will be out for quiet a while."

Kakashi pulled his rucksack from his back, and fiddle around inside it before he pulled out a syringe. He tossed it to Sai, who caught it with ease. "Inject her neck with that. It should keep her asleep until we get back to Konoha."

Naruto glared at his teacher, before moving his gaze to the pink haired girl has Sai injected her neck with the needle. "We should've used that on Sasuke!"

Kakashi silenced him with his one-eyed glare, and the team traveled on in a long silence. Kakashi had been surprised that they had actually managed to find Sasuke. Finding Orochimaru's base wasn't too difficult, seeing as they just started with looking in Sound Territory and around it. He was just surprised that Sasuke had confronted them, let alone with a pink haired girl hanging over his shoulder. What intrigued him was how the Uchiha acted once Kakashi had swept her into his arms.

Sasuke had become much more fierce and cold, and Kakashi suspected that Uchiha wouldn't have held back in his power if it meant that he could get the girl back, which was odd behavior for the Uchiha. Sasuke had almost every girl back in Konoha wanting to be with him and be the object of his affections, but the Uchiha always brushed them aside, sometimes forcefully, and it seemed like the Uchiha hated any company at all. But, there he had been, ready to fight for the pink haired girl that rested in his student's arms.

Hopefully, she would know something that could help them.

**Sakura Haruno**

I woke with a throbbing head, and my eyes opened up to great a room with dim lighting. The world slowly became clearer to me, not that the dim lightning was helping me any. All feeling in my body slowly came back to me, and I found myself strapped to a rather uncomfortable chair inside a dark room. I looked around slowly, eyebrows lowering in confusion. Suddenly, it hit me as to where I was and I threw my head back in a groan.

"You have to be kidding me," I mumbled sadly, wanting nothing more then to scream in frustration.

"I see that you're awake," A deep voice said, and Ibiki, commanding officer of Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Force, stepped into the dim lightning.

I stared at him blankly. I had no energy to give him the responses he might want. I gave him a bored stare, which seemed to shock him for a moment. I knew how this went, I went through it with Kabuto. They would ask questions, and when I couldn't answer I would receive pain. But, this time, there was no Sasuke standing by to try and help sooth my pain. I had no idea what Konoha's idea of torture was, but I fully prepared to feel it because I was in no way happy.

"I would like to ask you some questions," Ibiki stated.

I sighed slowly, and closed my eyes before releasing a confession of: "I know."

Ibiki raised an eyebrow.

"I know how this goes," I said tiredly, "You ask questions. If I can't answer them, I get hurt. I've been through this process before."

A faint outline of a door suddenly appeared as said door opened, releasing a wave of light into the room. I squinted my eyes, seeing the outline of a woman standing in the middle of the doorway. My eyes widened slightly when Lady Hokage, Tsunade, walked into the room with her heels clicking against the stone floor.

"Leave us, Ibiki. I will question the girl myself," Tsunade stated.

Ibiki nodded his head in respect for his Hokage, before he headed for the exit. He went to close the door, but Tsunade's voice cut him off.

"Leave the door open, it's too damn dark in here," She grumbled, and her honey colored eyes watched the interrogator leave.

She turned towards me, her eyes piercing my soul, and questioned, "What's your name?"

"Sakura Haruno," I replied smoothly, feeling slightly smothered by her power. She practically radiated authority and a 'no-funny-business' attitude. She almost reminded me of my principle, and I found myself fearing her slightly more then normal. She almost had the same attitude as Mrs. Kane had. Surprisingly, she was a lot more scary then Ibiki was.

"Where do you come from?" She asked.

I lowered my head, creasing my brow in thought. I took in a deep breath, before speaking. The truth.

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><p><strong>Piper: I liked this chapter. It was cool, shortish, but cool.<strong>

**Please review!**


	17. Proven

**Piper: Sorry guys, last weekend I was celebrating with friends. But, here's your chapter!**

**I don't own Naruto. If my facts are wrong, tell me and I'll try to correct them. Remember, Sai is an origional part of Team Seven in this so his story his slightly changed.**

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><p><span>Chapter 17 - Proven<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

"What you are asking me to believe is impossible," Tsunade murmured, looking slightly stunned at the length and shocking details of my story. Her honey colored eyes scanned my face, as though she thought that she would be able to decipher a lie from my tired face. Finally, her eyes met mine and a uncontrolled shiver of fear rolled down my spine. Her eyes held the same look Mrs. Kane's eyes used to, even more so. This woman was powerful, the lives of a whole village cradled in her arms.

I lowered my own set of eyes, desperate to get away from my memories. I spoke in a softer tone, slightly afraid that she would blow up like used to, "I know it is..."

She stretched suddenly, looking a bit less professional and less scary. It helped me realize that this woman was a human being, not a monster like Mrs. Kane. I may not be on her side, but so far I wasn't an enemy, either.

"But, I'll let you prove yourself," Tsunade said, and reached forward. I flinched as her hands neared, but relaxed when I realized that she was releasing me from my binds. She even reached down, and removed the chakra bracelet on my ankle. I was afraid of her chakra, but when she used to free my ankle I was more eager for my freedom then I was frightened of being hurt.

When the bracelet clicked off, my chakra felt like a free bird. I flexed it around, pulsing it into my arms and legs. Tsunade sent me a warning look when she felt my slowly recharging chakra flex around. I gave her a reassuring smile, and I stood onto my feet. I felt slightly weak, but I was able to keep myself up without feeling like I was going to fall. Tsunade motioned for me to follow, and we exited the torture room. We traveled down a few short hallways, passing Konoha nin along the way, and stopped a double door. She opened them, and I basked in the natural sunlight that petted my cheeks.

I inhaled through my nose, and clean, crisp air entered my lungs. It was as refreshing as a glass of water, and I was selfish enough to wish that I had both instead of one. The water provided to me in Sound was dirty, and I tried to refrain from drinking it in fear of catching a disease. However, the thirst had controlled me sometimes and I would drink the glass down in a record time.

As we moved through the village, it was amusing to watch the village interact and run. People would bow to their passing leader, yet their eyes turned suspicious at the sight of me. Me. The captured girl from sound. Their stares were unnerving, but I felt a bit more confident about myself now that my chakra was back. I could protect myself. But, my body was unhealthy. It was malnourished, and it would take a couple of weeks for me to get back into shape again.

I gazed around me, the stalls and shops catching my interest. My greens eyes drank in the details of the village as though it were downing a cup of water, and I felt breathless when my eyes caught sight of the Hokage mountains. The details of their faces were beautiful, and it reminded me of a very similar famous tourist sight back in my world.

"How are you going to prove yourself?" Tsunade asked me as we walked through the streets, towards the Hokage tower.

"I need Team Kakashi to prove my words," I told her, to entranced by the village to feel frightened of speaking to her.

She nodded her head, also scanning the village with her eyes. "I will send for them once we reach my office."

I could've sworn that after that she mumbled something along the lines of: _"I really need a drink..."_

Smiling discretely at the familiar character personality, I found myself almost excited to prove myself. I was ready to be back in business, and I couldn't wait to see the astonishment on their faces as I proved my worlds existence. The only part I had to be careful of was how much knowledge I used. I couldn't, or wouldn't, tell them anything that could help them hurt the Akatsuki. I knew that they were the bad guys, but I cared too much about them to care about what side they were on. They were there for me, and even if they weren't there with me in Konoha I still cared for them, and no amount of torture could make me reveal their secrets.

I blinked, snapping myself from my thoughts. I realized that someone was talking.

Looking around, I saw that I had unconsciously followed Tsunade the rest of the way to her office and she was speaking with an ANBU. He was only there for a few seconds, however, before he dissapeared. I looked around the room slowly, trying to distract myself to pass time until Team Seven was brought in. I was slightly nervous about getting to properly meet them face to face, because I didn't know how they would react to me. I could understand if Naruto was slightly awkward to me because I was found with Sasuke, but I had no clue how Kakashi and Sai would react.

I looked up at the sound of knocking, and felt my stomach tie into a knot. Tsunade allowed permission to enter, and Team Kakashi was let into the room. Their eyes found me just as mine found theirs, and for a moment we summed each other up. I knew I looked more then terrible, but of course, they looked perfect. They looked just like they did in the anime, except much more human. They looked so real it was amazing, and I found myself slightly star struck by them just as I had been with the Akatsuki and Sasuke.

"Team Kakashi, you are here to listen to this girl and prove her words correct," Tsunade said, sipping from a very suspicious-looking bottle.

The rooms' attention was thrown onto me, and I took a moment to think. Finally, I looked up at the waiting team. I zeroed in on Kakashi, who seemed very aware of it.

"You're Kakashi Hatake, son of the White Fang of Konoha. You were one of the best in the Academy, earning top marks. You were placed onto a Genin team with a boy named Obito and a girl named Rin. You're sensei was Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage. A mission gone wrong was the result in Obito's death and your sharingan eye."

Kakashi looked slightly stunned, his single showing eyes staring straight into my soul.

"There's a lot more to that story, more detail, but I know that you would probably like to keep it private, so I won't say anymore," I said softly, shying away from his intense staring.

I focused on Naruto, who was looking between me and his sensei with a slightly off look. When he saw it was my turn he looked determined to prove me wrong. I smiled softly at him, before speaking again, "You're Naruto Uzumaki. There are many things I could say about you that this village wouldn't want me to say, so I'll condense it. You have the Nine Tailed Demon Fox, Kyuubi, sealed within you. Because of it, you had a rough childhood because people wouldn't look at the human being you were, but the demon seal away inside. You acted out a lot as a kid to get attention, because without it you were completely shunned."

Naruto's blue eyes widened with each word, and he seemed incapable of speaking.

I turned towards Sai, who seemed to be watching every ones interactions carefully. His eyes met mine, and they were pulsing with an unknown curiosity and hunger of human knowledge. I felt bad for the emotionally stunted boy, and hoped that maybe he would be able to grow.

"Your name is Sai. You were an orphaned child, and taken in by a secret part of ANBU called Root. They raised you to basically be nothing. No emotions, no personality. You weren't even given a name until they decided it be best to reconnect you with the world, and placed onto Team Seven to hopefully undo the teaching they had done. Your emotions have gotten better over the years of spending time with Team Seven, growing with them, but I can see that you are not completely there yet. You like to give everyone nicknames, but no one completely knows what you base them from. I've seen several sources that say it's based from the first characteristic you see, or the opposite of the characteristic."

Sai continued to stare at me, but seemed slightly shielded away from me.

"Together, the three of you are Team Seven. One piece of your puzzle is missing, and that's Sasuke Uchiha. You were all placed onto Team Seven. The first words Kakashi ever spoke to you wer that his first impression of you was that he hated you, because Naruto decided to play a prank on him by wedging a chalk eraser in the door to fall on Kakashi's head. After that the four of you went to the roof, and you were to explain things about eachother. Kakashi basically gave you no information at all about himself, craftily avoiding his own questions.

"Your first C-rank mission, given to you due to Naruto's begging, was actually an B-rank or A-rank. Because, the bridge builder, Tazuna, you were meant to guard was actually being targeted by Gato's men. You encountered Zabuza and Haku, and you had to kill them even though in a sense, they didn't deserve to die. I-uh..." I stuttered for a moment, looking at Tsunade, "Do I need to continue or do you believe me now? I'm loosing my voice..."

I had been so thirsty, and my throat was so dry. My voice was cracking and had gone soft towards the end of my speaking. I pressed a hand to my aching throat, feeling slightly embarrassed that I had to stop before I had even got to re-explaining everything in the Chuunin exams like I had planned.

Tsunade looked at Team Seven. "Was she correct in what she said?"

Kakashi nodded, still looking slightly stricken, "Yes."

Sai copied Kakashi, nodding his head in confirmation.

Naruto, however, threw his pointer finger in my face, "How do you know so much about us?"

I blinked, surprised. However, Tsunade came to my rescue. "Be quiet, Naruto. Everything will be explained later."

She turned towards me, "You will still have to be watched while you stay here. Pick four Teams for you are familiar with. Each week you will alternate a Team for a month. You will be provided with an apartment and some starting money, but during the day you will have to join a Team in their daily activities."

"Um, Lady Tsunade," I asked weakly, once she was finished talking, "Would it be too much to ask for if I asked if I could train with the Teams as well? I'm terrible out of shape from staying in Orochimaru's base, and I wish to put myself back in good health. I know that you cannot trust me completely, but I'm asking for you to at least let me have my strength back now that I can actually use my chakra again.

She narrowed her eyes at me, before saying sternly, "If I hear of one mishap, another chakra bracelet will go on. I normally don't approve of them, but I will do what ever it takes to protect this village."

I nodded, "I understand."

Tsunade nodded back to me, and questioned, "Which Teams are you familiar with?"

I smiled slightly to myself.

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><p>It was slightly uncomfortable being stuffed in a room with four extremely familiar Konoha teams. I could tell that they were not only wondering why they were there, but why I was there. I felt slightly alienated, and I wished that the Akatsuki were here despite their differences with Konoha. I missed them terribly, my heart aching to see my old friends once more. They were my first and only friends, and they were the only ones who had truly made me feel like I had a reason to live.<p>

Tsunade suddenly began to speak, and explain. I felt heat rise to my cheeks as she told them of my world, and the few bits of my back story I had provided. When she got to how the Akatsuki had appeared in my home, they all seemed much more interested in the story. She explained the story I had told, how they had hid out in my house until the jutsu had worked. She told them of how they had trained me, and how I had gotten kidnapped while on a mission. I felt slightly angry as she told my story about being in Sound, angry about how weak I sounded when the story was told aloud. When she finished, the room seemed to focus their attention onto me.

"If you know almost everything about this world than you could help us take down those Akatsuki," The ever-so blonde Ino Yamanak spoke first, turning towards me sharply.

I shook my head, "No."

"What do you mean 'No', you could help save lives!" Naruto butted in, looking furious.

I lifted my eyes, and he seemed startled when I looked straight into his. "Naruto, you know more than anyone here what it's like to be alone."

He seemed almost stricken, his eyebrows drawing together.

"I know _exactly_ what that's like. To be so alone that it hurts. I grew up with no one, just like you. I was isolated by my peers to the point that I hardly felt worth life anymore. I was up to my knees in bills, conned by a man into paying for a shitty little house. My job barely covered those bills, let alone allwing me to keep a balanced diet. I lived in an unsafe neighborhood, and I went to sleep in fear that what little possessions I had would be gone if I woke up. I didn't fear for my life, however, because that would've been a dream come true to me.

"No matter how evil you see the Akatsuki as, and no matter how I _know_ what kind of people they are, they were the only people who ever gave a shit about me. They stood up for me, they helped me escape abuse, and they taught me to be strong. They were the only ones who cared, and I _refuse_ to hurt the only people who ever cared for me. You can throw into a cell and torture me until I'm bloodied and black, but I won't tell you _anything_," I growled the last word, angered at the mere thought of hurting the Akatsuki.

"They're _demons_!" The bun haired Tenten spat.

"In a sense, so are you," I said in a monotone.

This struck them.

"You consider the Akatsuki evil," I started, "Because they are 'missing-nin'. You don't know their plans, only that they don't belong to your side so that automatically makes them e_vil_. They kill people, so they're _evil_. But what you have failed to realize that you, too, have _killed_ people. Wearing a village headband does _not_ justify the blood staining your hands, and in a sense, you are no different from them."

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><p><strong>Piper: Sakura speaks the truth! I hope you guys liked this chapter!<strong>

**Please review!**


	18. Breathe

**Piper: I'm sooo sorry about the wait, I've had a lot of work to do with school. I'll try my hardest to keep regular updates from now own, but I can't make promises. I'm really stressed out right now, and I've found myself unable to write well. It troubles me a lot, because I love writing so much and now I hardly do it at all, and I become dissatisfied with what I do write.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p><span>Chapter 18 - Breathe<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

"That's not true..." Someone mumbled, but I had been too worked up to distinguish who had said it.

I raised an eyebrow at the crowd. "Really? You think that there is such a thing as a 'good-killing'. That as long as you're doing it for the right reason it's different from murder? Wrong. Murder is murder, killing is killing, and killers are killers. I'm not calling any of you bad people, but you don't seem to realize that killing another living human being is _still_ killing. It happens everyday, yes, but technically there is no difference between the Akatsuki killing a person and you killing a person. There is still a life lost at the hands of another human being. Whether it be for justice or spite, it is still killing."

There was a silence and I felt slightly awkward at my outburst, but I wouldn't let them talk about the Akatsuki in a way that could be apply to themselves.

"I care about the Akatsuki," I said quietly, "Because they were the first people to ever care about me. They kill, but so do you."

**Pein**

I stared blankly at the document in front of me, but I couldn't process a word of it. My mind, like my men's, was clouded and all thought process was wasted away. The past month (Was it a month? I had lost track after waiting so long for her return.) had been so dull, almost colorless. It was like taking a big bite of bland bread. Just like life had been before we found our spark. A touch of tomboyish actions and sweet smiles. That was gone now, but it was so close to being ours once again.

Sighing, I rested my head on my palm. I was never one to get sentimental. No, I refused to be sentimental. I would blame it all on an egotistical notion of how _no one_ stole _anything_ from the Akatsuki. No one would steal from _me_. She was not a possession, yet I felt like she belonged to us. She belonged with us, just as we belonged with her. And I was getting too sentimental again.

"You're just as miserable as the rest of them," A deep voice spoke from the far dark corner of my office.

I glanced up, scoffing slightly. "You miss her just as much as the rest of us."

The shadows of the corner flexed and shifted. There was slight movement, before Madara emerged with his orange swirl mask pulled away from his face. His eyes were slightly thoughtful as he paced through my office. "Yes, I must say I do miss the company of that girl. It was quite amusing to use her as an irritation technique. She would've made a good, strong Uchiha wife." He grinned darkly, revealing a set of straight, white teeth.

I resisted the strong urge to throw a fist into his jaw. I barely managed to keep my face impassive. "What do you want, Madara?"

"Oo," He cooed, his sharingan eyes swirling almost amusedly, "Did I touch a nerve? Does our fearless Akatsuki _leader_ have a crush?"

My eyebrow raised. "Are we reverting to childhood taunts? Because I have quite a few stored up concerning your age."

Madara frowned, and I wished that he had wrinkles. His old age had left no mark upon his face, and he looked like an twenty year old Uchiha would have. If he had had an imperfection than maybe I would've felt slightly better about his interest in Sakura, but I was past childish insecurities at that point.

"My age is something to marvel," He boasted in retaliation, "My immortality is worth bowing to."

I resisted a scoff. I knew that if I pushed the old Uchiha far enough he would resort to violence, and I didn't feel much into fighting that day.

"So," Madara began, after his basking in his old-as-dirt age, "How are planning on collecting her from Konoha?"

My lips stayed closed, as if suddenly sewn together. This, was were my planning had come to a fork in the road. We could go in fighting, or send a request to get in without conflict. The first choice offered that we would all definitely get in, but had the chance that something might happen to Sakura in all the chaos. The second choice had the huge possibility of our request being denied, and they would have time to bulk their forces before we could decided to just waltz in anyway.

There was a knock at the door, and without a thought I replied, "Enter."

Madara disappeared into the shadows, and the door opened. Itachi and Kisame entered, a cloaked figure standing behind them. I jumped to conclusions at first, my heart in my throat at the thought that they had gotten Sakura back. But, then sense kicked in and I realized the figure was much to tall, muscular, and _male_ to be our missing pinkette.

"Leader-sama, I believe that we have found a way to get Sakura back safely from Konoha," Itachi spoke, and the cloaked figure removed his shadowing hood.

My eyebrows raised slightly. "Sasuke Uchiha?"

**Sakura Haruno**

Team Gai was insane.

After my rant, Tsunade cut through the awkward silence by explaining how I was under the Team's watch and how I would rotate between the four teams each week. Team Gai were the first team that I would be watched by, and my first day under their care was utterly insane. After hearing about how my capture had lead me down the road of Starvation and Weakness, Gai and Lee practically vowed to the heavens that during the week I was with them they would whip me back into shape.

They were _insane._

I had thought that I would be prepared for the youthful green beasts of Konoha after going through such hell during my Akatsuki training, but I was so wrong. They pushed themselves to the point of exhaustion. Actually, only I was to the point of exhaustion. Tenten and Neji, those lucky little shit-heads, stayed behind at the training field while Lee and Gai had me running all of Konoha. At first, I was thankful for the exercise, but after the first hour I was in pain.

Fat I didn't know my starved body had was burned off within the first three hours. My muscles were so stretched and sore that I felt like a wiggly bowl of pain-jell-o. And they, those two crazy being, wanted to _keep going._

"I can't do this," I said between dry heaves, on my hands and knees in the grass.

"Come now, my youthful Cherry-Blossom! Gai-sensei and I are not even warmed up yet! We still have to get your youthful body back into shape!" Lee shouted as he jogged in place, scaring the birds from the trees above.

I groaned loudly as Gai went into a rant about how proud he was of Lee's philosophical words, and watched with a blank face as the two collapsed to the ground in each others' arms and crying rivers of tears. I was internally questioning their sexual orientation, but only as a joke. I knew that they were just oddly sentimental men. Well, they were just odd in general, but that wasn't the point.

"There you two are!" Tenten's voice said from behind.

I had no strength to look at her from over my shoulder.

"What have you guys done to her! Have you guys even taken a break from since you've started? Did you forget that she was struggling with starvation, too! She's probably really hungry!" Tenten scolded, and I watched Lee and Gai shrink back from her powerful woman-might.

At that moment my stomach let out the most ferocious growling, a terrible ache accompanying it. I groaned tiredly, wondering if I would even have enough strength to lift my spoon. Something told me that even if my body was it's normal, trained self, I would still be in utter agony due to the Lee-Gai-Training.

Hands lifted me up, and the world spun for a little bit. I leaned against a near by tree, thinking that I would go to stat throwing up.

I looked up slowly once I got myself under control, and Tenten smiled at me. She seemed to have warmed up a bit after that whole meeting was over, and I found myself thinking she was a pretty nice person.

"We'll head back to my place and let you take a shower, and then the guys will come over and I'll cook for everyone," Tenten suggested.

Lee and Gai cheered, and I saw Neji shrug impassively a few feet behind Tenten. Lee, however, suddenly stopped cheering and threw his finger into the Hyuuga's face, "Neji! I challenge you to a food eating contest! Whoever can eat the most wins!"

Neji swiftly pushed the finger from his face. "I'd rather not."

Tenten began to pull me away, whispering lowly, "Just ignore them. They do this all the time."

I smiled slightly, and walked along side Tenten towards her apartment.

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><p>When I stepped from the shower I felt ten-times cleaner, but ten-times more exhausted. I dried myself off and slipped into the clothes that Tenten was allowing me to borrow. I put my used clothes in the hamper like she had suggested, and walked out of the bathroom with a brush in my hand. Konoha had luckily provided me with a few necessities so that I could comfortably live while I was under the care of the teams watching me for the next month.<p>

I was slightly surprised to find the rest of Team Gai sitting around Tenten's living room. Neji seemed to be trying to read through a long, ranting conversation between Gai and Lee. I smiled slightly at the scene, before finishing with my hair and walking into the kitchen. I watched Tenten place full bowls of ramen onto the counter.

"I'm only good at simple stuff," She admitted sheepishly, her brown eyes looking unsatisfied with her lack of cooking skills.

I blinked slightly. "I could teach you how to cook, if you wanted me to."

Tenten looked at me, her head tilted slighlty. "Really?" She inquired.

Nodding, I slowly took my place at the table as the rest of the team filed into the kitchen. "Back in my world I had to learn how to make due with a small amount of ingredients, and whenever I was tired of tasting the same thing I would prepare it a different way. When the Akatsuki came and I got more reign over a larger variety of ingredients, I ended up becoming really fond of cooking for the guys and experimenting with what I could do."

Tenten nodded at my words, smiling in a slightly strained way. "It'd be great if you could teach me. I feel like I loose more feminity with each second I spend with these guys."

Neji and I smirked at her joking, whilst Lee and Gai went into long rants between slurps of their noodles. I found myself already used to their loudness, and shockingly used to their rants about youth and challenges.

"So, how about this," Tenten reasoned in a whisper, making sure that Gai and Lee would not overhear her, "I get a few hours shaved off of your intense work out with those two, and after training you start teaching me."

"Deal," I agreed eagerly, and we shook hands before we both dove into eating our ramen.

I stayed silent during most of the meal, watching the Team interact with careful eyes. It was so odd because I never saw Team Gai get much screen time, and they were so interesting. They were bonded like a family, and you could tell, even with Neji, that they all cared about each other. They were close, and they would always support one another. I longed to have that once again. I experienced true friendship with the Akatsuki, and that feeling was so addictive.

After years of loneliness, friendship was like a drug you just couldn't drop. The feeling of being supported and valued was so special, and I longed to have it once more.

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><p><strong>Piper: I hope you guys are happy with this chapter, even though it's been so long. I hope that you will forgive me for making you wait so long. I'm truly sorry. I will try my hardest to keep updating not only for you guys, but for myself. I love writing, and I'm not going to let school drain me to the point that I can't write any longer. My expression has been used up by stress and anger, and I'm tired of it.<strong>

**Please, review. I hope you'll tell me how I'm doing.**


	19. Together

**Piper: Hi guys! I'm sorry about the chapter length of the last chapter. I tried to make up for it this chapter.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p><span>Chapter 19 - Together<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

I could smile.

It was such an odd feeling. The upturn of my lips, stretching a mile across my face. I smiled so happily, smiled so hard, that my cheeks almost seemed to ache. The ache was welcomed easily, better than the other aching I had felt the past two months. The aching of being kidnapped and tortured, and the pain of rebuilding myself in a foreign home. This ache was different from those. It was the ache of a survivor, I finally realized. I ached because, even though it was through the help of others, I survived. Not by my physical strength, but by mental. For once, I was not left scarred. I was not scared of life.

Not anymore.

The Akatsuki had built me up, only for Orochimaru and Kabuto to take me down. Konoha helped pick up the pieces. There were many missing, however, because they belonged in the hearts, souls, and minds of each Akatsuki member. I longed to have them near once again, but the companionship I built in Konoha helped me stay strong. It was hard, because the Akatsuki wasn't a pleasant topic in Konoha. I could speak to any of them about how great the Akatsuki were, because their opinions were the opposite.

They didn't understand them like I did, and it stressed me. In my heart, I knew that I had the Akatsuki on high pedestals. They had saved me from so much. They were the true reason that made me forget my past, something I had longed to have. Their lack of presence made it feel as though there were huge, bleeding holes in my heart.

It took me a long while to realize how much I depended on them. Whether it was a good thing or not, I couldn't bring myself to care. I missed them. My heart ached for them and I hoped that theirs ached for mine. I hoped that I at least left some impression on them, because I all I wanted was to be accepted in their eyes without loosing who I was.

Too late.

The Sakura I used to be was dead. The Sakura who let people walk over her, use her, and abuse her. I killed her.

And I was proud of it.

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><p><strong>No POV<strong>

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><p>Fingers pinched the edges between their tips, and the curtains were thrown open. Sunlight beamed through, a tidal wave of light filling the room like water into an empty cup. It kissed each surface with its warm lips, bathing everything in its warmth. The shadows were chased away to their rightful place, and they were no longer allowed to play across each surface in the room. They now held their positions, only moving when the sun did. They were under the Sun's control.<p>

Tsunade cracked open one eye, the light staining the insides of her eyelids red. She let out a long, lazy sigh. Shizune moved away from the windows, her mouth set in a tight line. Tsunade took her displeasure with a simple stretch of her arms, knowing now that her nap was over. Her hand wrapped around a cup on her desk, and she drank the sake inside of it.

Shizune eyed the cup and Tsunade quickly downed the rest of its contents, causing the other woman to let out a small, irritated sigh.

"You should stop drinking and sleeping so much on the job, Lady Tsunade. You had many papers to go through and sign. You are least two weeks behind, and the longer you hold it off the longer-"

"I get it, Shizune," Tsunade said, waving her out of the room.

Shizune stayed until she saw the current Hokage grasp a writing utensil in her hands and begin to sign. She sent the older woman and long, hard look, before she left the room.

Tsunade sighed, but continued on with her work. She knew that Shizune was right. She was much to far behind to continue putting all the paperwork off. If it continued it was much too likely that the council would start to come around, and Tsunade detested their very presence. They were much too annoying, and she didn't like how they worked. They treated her as though she were a child, and despite her reluctance to admit it, she was not young any longer. She was old enough to, and had the title to, make the decisions she thought were the best for the village without their interference.

Her mind moved on from there, tumbling down different thoughts as she skimmed and signed documents. Finally, her thoughts landed on a certain pink-haired new comer to their village. The council had fought with her fiercely on the subject of Sakura Haruno. The council wanted to torture her for the information the girl knew, and Tsunade fought in her defense until it was set straight that no one was to touch a hair on the pinkette unless in training or in defense.

That girl was much more special than any could've dreamed. Any who could believe that the Akatsuki were kind and loving had to be special, or completely mental.

Sakura meant more to her then most would realize. She couldn't hardly believe it was her when Team Seven brought her to the village, but there was no mistaking the pink hair. She could still remember that pink hair, but only it was much younger hair atop a small baby. She could still remember holding her, bouncing the baby in her arms.

Tsunade's heart ached slightly, and she sighed.

How did all this mess turn out this way, she wondered. Was it a blessing or a painful reminder?

Tsunade didn't even know if she had the strength to tell the pink-haired girl.

The Hokage glanced at the clock, and released another sigh. She dropped her pencil, and began to flex her fingers. She pumped a little soothing chakra into their joints, and felt the wear of two hours spent writing fade away. Even though the wear was gone, it didn't extinguish any real desire to being writing once more.

Tsunade moved her neck around, and suddenly felt more stiff. Her eye lids drooped hazily, and she felt near collapse. This sent an alarm off in her head, and she struggled to pull herself out of the genjutsu she had been placed under. She watched through hazy eyes as the room began to shadow itself. The bright sunlight turned navy blue, pooling the shadows into the room. Her body froze, and she watched as a shadow began to morph in the center of the room.

She tried to bring her hands together to counter the genjutsu, but found it to tiring to move them.

The shadow took the shape of an undefined figure. It opened it eyes, revealing nothing but white. They were hard to look at, they contrasted much to heavily with the rest of the room. She blinked a few times, her anger bubbling within her.

"Who are you?" She ground out through gritted teeth, the effort to open them much to strenuous.

The figure opened its mouth, and it was pure white inside. She squinted against the bright light, her eyes threatening to close.

"We request something of you, Godaime Hokage," The shadow greeted, its words coming out slow and drawn out.

Her eyes narrowed slightly. The figure did nothing, but suddenly a symbol burned bright red on its chest. It drew across its chest perfectly. It looked as though it would be forever burned on his chest, just like how it was forever burned to the walls of her mind. It was painfully familiar, and she knew then who she was dealing with.

"Akatsuki."

The figure inclined its head in acknowledgement.

The words seemed to float out of its lips like a ghost, and they stretched across the room to tickle her ears. They were like a haunting song, floating through the air like invisible music notes. She knew that she would never be able to get the voice of the figure out of her head for the rest of her life. It's agonizingly slow pace and breathy intakes would fill her with unpleasant shivers for eternity and beyond.

"We wish to strike a deal with you."

**Sakura Haruno**

I twisted on my hand, twirling my body swiftly. I pushed up, landing on my feet. I ducked back, avoiding a kick to the face. I grabbed Sai's ankle, and spun him as hard as I could. I released him, and he knocked down an innocent tree upon impact. I clicked my leg to the side, three senbon needles whizzing right past my knee cap.

Digging my heal into the ground, I spun my other leg around. The toe of my foot connected with a jaw, which I found belonged to Neji's. I was quite surprised that I had managed to lay a hit on the Hyuuga, but felt proud for it. Neji seemed to have to same two emotions. Shocked at actually being countered and hit, and proud of my progress from sickness.

After a whole month, spending time with both teams, we were having an all out training session. I felt comfortable around them, and almost in my element. I was fighting with the passion and ferocity that I had thought once to be lost. It felt good to feel chakra around me, and use my muscles to the full extent of their abilities and more. There was always room for improvement, and I enjoyed to pull of each part of me as they became stronger and more fit.

I lunged forward, skidding against the dirty ground. I slid right behind Ino, and I kicked her legs out from under her. Her breath escaped her lungs, and she hit the ground hard. She swung out with her foot, hitting me in the shoulder. I rolled right onto my fight, lifting my fists up in a challenge. Out of all the people I had met in Konoha, Ino seemed to not like me the most. I believe that it was because I refused to give up any information about Sasuke, feeling as though I would betray him if I did, and the Akatsuki. She wasn't particularly mean to me, but I could sense that she didn't completely accept me like the rest had come to.

Ino rose to her feet, copying my stance. We stood in a frozen silence, before I darted forward. I threw a fist, and she ducked her head back. I hook my ankle to hers and knocked one leg out from under her. She began to fall, but swung her foot around. It struck me in the same spot on my shoulder, making it throb. I knew that it would bruise soon, so I pumped a little chakra into my hands. I dodged one of her feet, my glowing palm held over my shoulder.

The wound slowly faded away, and I focused back on my first, switching from medic to hellion. I felt someone come in from behind, and I arched my back. My hands touched the ground, and a leg flew over my face. I lifted my legs from the ground, going into a hand stand, and twisting my legs around the offenders. I twisted one leg, hooking it around theirs. I removed my other and slid it outwards, knocking their other leg down. Sadly, I went with them, and fell onto a well toned chest.

Out of breath, I looked up at the person I lay upon. Kiba looked down at me, his face shaped into a wolfy grin.

I blushed slightly.

"Nice moves," He complimented as I stood up.

Offering him my hand, I felt his larger, calloused one slip into mine. I lifted him to his feet with ease, commenting as I did so: "Thanks."

"Okay everyone, come eat. You guys look exhausted," Kurenai called over from the sidelines, where most of the Team Leaders sat grazing upon the food we had brought for lunch.

My stomach growled loudly, and I blushed as Kiba burst into laughter. He swung his arm over my shoulder and guided me towards the food. The familiar contact was slightly odd for me, but I didn't mind it to much. I could remember Deidara, Kisame, and Hidan pulling a similar action quite often, so I was used to it.

He released me once we reached the food, and I settled down between Kakashi and Gai, for the sake of Gai not starting another match with the ever so reluctant Kakashi. I smiled at both, before digging into the food displayed out in front of us. Naruto squeezed his way between Kakashi and I, going in for the steaming ramen bowls.

"This is so awesome!" The whisker-faced boy cheered, before slurping down noodles happily.

I chuckled lightly to myself. It was nice to see them all together like this, but I knew that a piece of this happiness was missing. Sasuke was still gone from their lives, but luckily they didn't seem to be thinking about it. Their minds were focused on the present, and the whole atmosphere radiated happiness. I let myself get sucked into it, happy to feel as though I belong. Even though it wasn't my true home, I was happy to have them as my friends. They helped the pain of being parted from the Akatsuki, and I cared for these people almost as much as I did the Akatsuki.

We all looked up when an ANBU appeared, his hawk-eskew mask staring down at us all.

"Yes?" Kakashi inquired.

"The Hokage requests that all of you be at the Front Gate within the next half hour," The ANBU droned, sounding quite bored.

We all instantly began to pack up, most of the happiness replaced with a sense of urgency. It was odd to be requested at the Front Gates, and we knew that Tsunade would rather us be early than late. When quickly cleaned up and Team Gai volunteered to dispose of the remains of our picnic. The rest of us made our way to the gate.

I opted for traveling with Team Seven, mostly because Naruto had excitedly began to drag me along with him.

"I wonder if we're going on a huge mission! Maybe we're retrieving Sasuke! We would surely be able to get him back if all of us went!"

My heart clenched as he continued to speak about Sasuke. I felt bad for the blond. He lost one of his best friends to power, and now he was doing everything he could to try and retrieve him. In my heart I knew that Konoha was the side that Sasuke belonged on. If only the raven haired male could've seen that himself.

When we reached the gates, Team Gai arriving shortly after the rest of us, and all we saw was Tsunade standing in the center of the large door way. She was gazing out into the forests around Konoha, almost as if she were searching for something. At our approach, however, she turned. Her eyes caught mine, and for a moment I saw a flash of sadness in their depths. Confusion built up in me, but she quickly glanced away before I could inquire upon her gaze.

Tsunade looked over the rest of us, before she sighed.

"All of you should take this moment to say your good-byes."

Confusion bubbled up even further, and I cocked my head to the side.

"Sakura will be leaving the village shortly," She explained.

Hurt blossomed in my chest, and I believed that I was being kicked out. It hurt, because I had thought that Konoha had accepted me. I bit my lip softly.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto shouted, "What do you mean she's leaving the village?"

Familiar chakra signatures spiked up from behind Tsunade, flaring to life as though as sudden, spiritual fire had been ignited on the spot. Three figures appeared directly behind her, but she made no move to look at them. She seemed to already know who they were and why they were here. My heart soared, and my breath was caught in my throat. Tears filled my vision, and I pressed my palm to my lips so that I could still the sobs bubbling up from my throat.

One figure spoke up, the answer to Naruto's question falling from his lips. "Because she will be returning home, with us."

One happy, loving tear rolled down my cheek. I felt its trail mark my cheek, staining its travels down my face only to drip off of my chin. The air was so silent that I heard it hit the ground with a wet, tiny 'plop'. I whispered the figure's name in a disbelieving tone, the name tasting familiar yet sadly unused. "Itachi..."

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><p><strong>Piper: Reunited and it feels so gooooooddd... Lol, I'm pretty happy with this chapter.<strong>

**Please Review!**


	20. Reunion

**Piper: It's only the 20th chapter and we have reached 500 hundred reviews! This is a present for you guys for being so patient with me: a super quick update! Thank you guys so much for sticking with me through a lot of stuff, and I'm happy that I've managed to keep the story interesting for you guys.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p><span>Chapter 20 - Reunion<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

I sprang forward on my feet. My boots hit the dirt as I threw myself at the familiar pattern of black with red and white clouds. I wrapped my arms around his neck tightly, feeling more tears slip down my face. I felt his own arms slowly return the embrace, pulling me off my feet slightly. I felt his nose touch my hair, and I could smell the Akatsuki base on his cloak. I buried my face in the familiar material, hiding my tears away from the rest of the world to see.

"Hey, you're forgetting someone, kitten."

Pulling away from Itachi, I saw a familiar blue face grinning down at me. I was too short to wrap my arms around his neck, for he was much to tall for me to reach, but his arms caught me in mid-fling and spun me in the air. I laughed happily as he placed me on my feet, his large, blue hand ruffling the top of my hair. I let it slide, a large grin stretching across my face as I stared up at him.

I turned slightly, and saw that the third figure was Sasuke. He was staring at us, much like the rest of the Konoha ninja, watching the exchange between me and the Akatsuki members. A part of me was so happy to see him again, and I threw my arms around him in a hug. I could feel his body tense in surprise, and a slightly startled gasp from someone over on Konoha's side. I wasn't expecting him to hug back, but just as I began to pull away I felt his arms trap me in. He hugged me tightly for a few seconds, before releasing me.

"Sasuke!" I heard an excited blond shout, and my attention was diverted to the Konoha nin.

I looked at each of them, and felt my heart drop down a couple of notches. I would be leaving them. I didn't know how to take that, but I felt Kisame place his hand on my shoulder and I felt ten times stronger. It would always be the Akatsuki, I knew sadly. If I had to fight against Konoha for them, I knew deep within my heart that I would. No matter the heart ache it would cause within me. I owed the Akatsuki deeply, and I would do anything for any of them. Even Madara.

"What are they doing here, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked.

I could feel his single eye on Kisame's hand, which was still on my shoulder. It was almost as though he were making sure that the shark-like man wasn't hurting me. I felt touched by the action, and pushed away the nausea aching in the pits of my stomach. We all knew that my side had been chosen the second I darted for the Akatsuki, and even though there was guilt for picking sides, I would never be able to bring myself to regret it.

"They're here to make a trade," Tsunade answered.

Her eyes seemed to be avoiding me, I realized with slight confusion.

"Sasuke has agreed to return to Konoha, in the exchange that Sakura gets to come home with us," Kisame explained, and I felt his hand squeeze my shoulder reassuringly.

I looked at Sasuke, who met my eyes straight-on. He seemed to be looking for any approval, or happiness. I realized, then, why Sasuke was there. He had made up with Itachi, and he was going to go back to Konoha. Only, however, if I was returned to the place where I would be happiest. Through everything that I had been through with the duck-butt haired boy, I had never felt so grateful towards him before. Not even when he healed my after Kabuto's torture sessions.

Tears clouded my vision, and Sasuke seemed slightly satisfied. He smirked at me, and I rolled my eyes. I offered him a teary smile, the pressure of guilt in my stomach intensifying like a raging forest fire. I stepped forward and gave him another hug, making sure that he could feel the thanks and happiness I felt. His arms wrapped around me more quickly this time, and I could feel his breath against my ear as he rested his head next to mine. He seemed to not give a shit about what anyone thought right then, but he did pull away before I did.

He gave me one more smirk, and a cocky: "Hn." before he crossed over sides. I watched as Naruto tackled the young Uchiha in a violent hug, shouting at him. Sai seemed to insult him with some kind of name, as I could see the fake, mocking smile upon his lips as Sasuke sent him an irritated look. I watched as everyone exchanged greetings with the Uchiha, and felt slightly happy that their family was back as a whole. A smile touched my lips as the attention was put off of us and onto them. I looked at Itachi and Kisame, and both turned towards me. I nodded slightly, and felt their hands slip into mine.

I looked over them once more, and my eyes stopped on Tsunade. Her eyes were locked onto mine, and for a small moment I thought I saw the shimmer of tears in their depths. She walked towards me, and held out something in her hand. I looked down at her palm, and found a Konohagakure head-band resting there. I looked back up at her eyes, surprised. She nodded. I removed my hand from Itachi's and Kisame's, so that I could tie it securely around my right thigh. I re-took their hands, and looked back up at Tsunade.

Slowly, she looked away, and walked back towards the rest of the Konoha ninja. There was something familiar about her, I suddenly realized. I couldn't place my finger on it, and it felt as though my mind were trying to draw a familiar memory from its vast depths.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Glancing one last time at my friends, I watched them fade away as we teleported away in a burst of white smoke.

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><p>I felt my chakra levels steadily drop as the world span around me. This was an advanced teleportation jutsu, I managed to think through dizzy thoughts. I could still feel my hands clasped in Itachi's and Kisame's, but I couldn't see them as my eyes refused to open. Something told me that if I did then I would throw up. My chakra levels were becoming dangerously low, when there was a sudden flash of light behind my eye lids. I fluttered them open, and couldn't believe my eyes.<p>

Never before in my life would I have thought that I would have missed seeing a mess to clean up, but the slightly dirtied Akatsuki living room was a welcomed sight. I felt Itachi's and Kisame's hands leave mind, and I gazed around, almost seeming to be lost. To think that it had been two whole months since I had even stepped foot in that exact room.

I turned to glance at the two who had brought me home, and found their eyes watching me slowly. I smiled at them, causing a small smirk to tilt Itachi's lips and a large, sharky grin to split Kisame's face. I heard a door open behind me, and I turned around sharply. I found two pairs of eyes staring into mine. One, a beautiful blue that reminded me heavily of Naruto, the other a lazy, caramel color.

"Deidara! Sasori!" I couldn't help but burst out, and I was across the room as fast as I could go.

Deidara wrapped his arms around me before I could get mine around him, and I smiled happily into his Akatsuki cloak. I parted from him and wrapped my arms around the puppet-master. It took him a few seconds to respond to the touch, but I was happy to feel him hug me back. I pulled away, and smile at both of them.

"I've missed all of you guys so much," I said softly.

"Oi!" A shout came from not to far off, "Where the hell is Tobi? I'm going to fucking kill that little shit-head!"

I grinned slightly, and ran towards the voice. I darted down the hallway, and turned the corner to bump head-first into a well-toned chest. Two hands clasped my shoulders before I could fall backwards, and I looked up, into the eyes of my captor. Hidan looked down at me, looking slightly stunned. I smiled at him, and he grinned.

"Well, shit. The bitch is back," The silver haired man said, his purple colored eyes scanning over me.

Sighing, I wrapped my arms around him, and said blandly, "To think I actually missed your language."

He laughed loudly, hugging me tightly. I gasped for air, and he let go. Smiling, I started to walk around him. "I have to go say hi to everyone else, okay? I'll see you later, Hidan!" I shouted, before I took off in a dead sprint down the hallway.

I could feel his eyes follow me, and he gave a final shout, "You better fucking cooking supper! What we've been eating is fucking shit!"

Responding with a laugh, I continued my journey down the hallway. I found myself following a familiar path, and a small smile met my lips. I continued to map my way through the familiar halls, until I found myself standing in front of a familiar door way. I lifted my fist, and rapped my knuckles against the wood of the door. I listened for a few moments, and I could hear the rustle of paper on the other side of the door.

"Enter," a familiar, smooth voice floated through the wood.

I paused for a moment, before creaking the door open. I peaked my head inside, and felt my breath stopped. Gray, ringed eyes locked onto my own. I slowly stepped into the room, feeling his eyes follow every movement I made. I ran my eyes over his face, happy to see that it was unchanged just as the others were.

My mouth opened, but no words came out as I suddenly felt arms wrap around me. Pein's hair tickled across my forehead as he pulled me closer. I wrapped my arms around him in return, pressing my ear over his head. I could hear it's thudding inside his chest, and I sighed lightly. A huge smile covered my face, but there was a slightly tickling in my stomach. It felt as though millions of butterflies had suddenly broke free of their cocoons, and were now fluttering around in my stomach. It was something I had never felt before I had met the Akatsuki, but a feeling I had grown used to after feeling it every time one of them got too close.

I tried to tug myself free of Pein, but he seemed slightly slow to let go. His arms slowly slid away from me, and he stared down at me with his haunting eyes. He leaned down slightly, and my heart stopped. I felt his soft lips touch my cheek bone, right below my left eye. My lashes fluttered slightly and I felt the butterflies quicken. I could feel my heart speed up slightly, accompanied by a warm blush rising to my cheeks.

Pein pulled back, and smirked at the blush on my face.

My cheek tingled from where his lips had been, and I brushed it off as a friendly gesture. I smiled at him, and he guided me back to his desk. I sat down in the chair in front of it, while he took his rightful place behind it.

"What happened to you?" Pein asked after a moments pause.

_'Here goes,'_ I thought to myself slowly.

**Konohagakure**

Naruto looked away from his newly reunited team mate to find his new pink haired friend, but found his eyes scanning blank air. His face fell slightly, seeing that space where she and the two Akatsuki members once stood was now vacant. They were completely gone, he realized sadly. She didn't even say good-bye, but he couldn't blame her. It was hard for him to understand how, but she cared about the Akatsuki. She had been torn away from the people she obviously loved. He couldn't blame her for wanting to return to them so eagerly.

However, that didn't make it hurt any less.

He looked around, and saw that many others had the same reaction to her sudden disappearance. His eyes then looked upon Tsunade, and was shocked to see a tear run down her face. Never had he seen the strong Godaime Hokage break down this badly, except for when she had been exposed to her fear. Something was seriously wrong here.

"Hey! Granny, what's wrong?" Naruto called to her.

She wiped the tear away as they all turned their attention to her. She turned her sharp eyes onto the loud blond, and said in a slightly stiff tone, "Nothing."

The teams watched, confused, as their Hokage turned away from them and began to walk away from their group. She seemed slightly sullen. They didn't realize the capacity of her hurt, and they decided to let it drop as they watched her figure disappear further into the village.

Tsunade found herself standing on top of the Hokage monuments as the sun slowly began to drop underneath the horizon. The sky was streaked orange, yellow, and pink, the pastel colors glowing against her pale skin. She admired the sky for being so free. It could be any color that it wished and could still be beautiful. It could be free and open for as long as it wanted.

She sighed to herself, and brought a bottle of sake to her lips. She tilted her head back and allowed the liquid to wash over her taste buds and down her throat. The warmth of alcohol was left in its place, settling into the pit of her stomach. Her eyes closed for a moment, before she heard something behind her shift slightly. Her eyes opened, and she rested a hand on her hip.

"Where have you been?" She asked half-heartedly, slightly weary of the answer.

He chuckled shamelessly. "Just doing a litte bit of this and that."

Her eyes rolled, and she sensed him standing next to her. He easily took the bottle from her hands and took a sip himself, and she watched him from the corners of her eyes to make sure that he left some for her to drink. While she waited for him to swallow his mouthful, she spoke up, "Not more of your _research_, I hope."

The threat in her voice lingered in the air, and he had the decency to look at least slightly guilty.

"N-no, of course not, Tsunade," The legendary toad sannin stuttered slightly, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Her eyes closed once more, this time in annoyance rather than peace. She would pummel him later, she decided. She wasn't in the mood to crush anything with her fists, which was unusual for her. Instead, she would've rather reverted back to a child and curled into a small ball. She wished that she had the strength to just cry, instead of hiding it all inside. But, now wasn't the time for it, because now they had a problem on their hands.

"Jiraiya, she's here," She said, her voice quivering slightly.

He rose his eyebrows, turning from the sunset to give her a confused look. He scanned her face for a moment, as if waiting for an explanation, before he said slowly, "Who's here?"

Tsunade was about to berate him for his idiocy, when a light bulb suddenly went off in his head. His whole posture stiffened as though a switch had been flicked on inside of him. He gave his old team mate a hard look, as though he were trying to detect a lie. Gone from his face was the emotions of care free and ease, and his face was re-fitted with a mask of coldness and seriousness.

It didn't fit him, she thought absent mindedly.

"How did she get back? Where is she?" He demanded, his eyes flashing slightly with heavily concealed concern.

"The Akatsuki. They used the old jutsu we had to get into the Other World. They were looking for a strong power source, but found nothing accept for her. They became interested in her and took her back to this world with them. Jiraiya, she is no longer safe," She whispered the last sentence softly, sounding slightly upset. She fixed herself up, however, refusing to let her emotions get in the way.

"If Orochimaru finds her-" He began, but she shook her head.

"He's already had ahold of her."

"What?" He growled, his fists clenching angrily.

"He did not recognize her because of the alterations we made to her appearance when she was just a baby. She was with him for about a month before Team Seven, on a mission to retrieve Sasuke, found her and captured her for information. I got to see her, Jiraiya. I got to speak to her. She's beautiful, but she's gone through so much in her short life. She's so strong," Tsunade said softly.

Jiraiya paused for a moment, before speaking again, "She's here, in Konoha? I want to see her."

Tsunade shook her head. "She's gone."

He gave her a hard look. "What do you mean 'gone'?"

"The Akatsuki came to take her back, just earlier today," Tsunade said, turning her eyes away from his angered face to stare out at the darkening sky.

"You just handed her over?" He said lowly, his voice vibrating with raw anger.

She shook her head, her blond hair falling into her face. "It was an exchange. The Akatsuki gave us Sasuke Uchiha in exchange for Sakura, and I agreed to it."

Jiraiya grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing the woman to stare him in the face. She could see anger etched into every crease of his face. For a moment, she feared his fierce anger, but then squared her shoulders and stared him straight in the eyes. Her opened his mouth and gritted words began to pool out of his lips, each word coming out in a angry note. "You traded her! You traded our _daughter_, Tsunade? Why did I not have a say in this? Why was I not even told that she was here?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I sent several ANBU to find and contact you, almost every day for the whole month she was here. You just brushed them off, and continued on your _research_. It is your own fault, Jiraiya, that you did not get to see her. And I did trade her, but only because I knew that it would be what she would want. She loves them, Jiraiya. The Akatsuki saved her from a rough life in the Other World, and she loves them so much. She sees the good in them that no one else it able to see. She refused to give up any information on them, because she cared about them so much. Something tells me that they take good care of her, Jiraiya. More than we did."

His eyes mimed hers, narrowing slightly. "We sent her there to save her life. Orochimaru would've stopped at nothing to get his hands on her. We had to do it, Tsunade."

"We sent her to her own personal hell, Jiraiya, only for her to come to this world and enter another," Tsunade said coldly.

Jiraiya closed his eyes, and forced himself to calm down. For a moment, he held his breath as he slowly became calm. He opened his eyes and gazed up at the dark sky, the twinkling stars seeming be smiling down upon them. Finally, he reached his arms around his old team mate. She allowed him to pull her close, until her face was pressed against his chest. His arms wrapped around her, and he buried his face into her familiar hair. She returned the embrace awkwardly.

"We'll figure this out," Jiraiya said lowly.

Tsunade closed her eyes, a single tear escaping and running down her cheek.

"We have to," She whispered, "For her sake."

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><p><strong>Piper: Tadaa~! Truth is revealed. Dun dun dunnnn...<strong>

**Please please please review!**


	21. Dawn

**Piper: Hi guys! I hope you all had a good holiday! I wrote most of this chapter yesterday, running on three hours of sleep. Yeah, yesterday is kinda blurr... Stupid no-sleep-haze!**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p><span>Chapter 21 - Dawn<span>

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><p><strong>Konohagakure<strong>

His daughter.

He could imagine her two different ways. One, how she would have looked if they hadn't altered her appearance. Hair the color of fresh snow, inherited directly from him, pale skin from both her mother and father, and her mother's beautiful caramel eyes. But, the jutsu they had used could never be reversed. Instead, his daughter had hair the color of soft sakura petals, and eyes the color of fresh forest leaves. Her skin, however, stayed perfectly the same. He could picture her face, the perfect combination of his and Tsunade's.

Jiraiya clenched his fist. She was in danger now. No matter where she was or who she was with, she was in danger. Orochimaru would find her at some point, and he would realize just whose daughter she was. He couldn't let that happen, and he couldn't trust her in the hands of the Akatsuki no matter how much the criminal organization cared for her. They didn't know her origins, and they could easily slip up again and Orochimaru would have her. Orochimaru having her its self was a danger, but having him have her and know that Jiraiya and Tsunade were her parents would send the girl straight to a living hell.

The night air around him was chilled and crisp, the sunset he and Tsunade had shared together having ended a few hours earlier. He had needed time to himself, to think. He could tell that she did, too. They were both worried parents, and there was no use in suffocating one another if they both knew that the other needed space. It would only cause an argument, and at the moment it seemed as though the smallest one could snap either of them. Yes, space was good for that moment.

He looked down at the stack of papers in his hands, his work in progress. He was actually tempted to throw the novel-in-progress down onto the dirt and stomp on it. It was the novel's fault that he missed seeing his daughter. No, he knew that it truly was his own fault. But that couldn't stop him from being angry. He quickly tucked the papers into his rucksack, in fear that he would ruin all that hard work and research out a single moment of anger.

He pulled his hands out of quivering fists, and molded them together in sloppy hand signs. His anger slowly subsided and by the end of his hand performance his movements were near perfect and too fast to see. There was a small _'poof'_, and a small toad appeared at Jiraiya's feet. He pulled a blank piece of his novel-paper from his rucksack, and he wrote down several names onto it. He made sure to sign his signature at the bottom, not that it would matter much but it was best as a precaution.

"I need you to find these people and tell them to meet me at the gates. Stay hidden, and don't let Tsunade find you, alright?" He instructed the small toad, handing it the parchment carefully.

The little toad saluted jokingly, before disappearing in another puff of white smoke. Jiraiya stared at the spot it used to inhabit, his mind reeling as he just realized what he had started. There was no turning back from this now, and if Tsunade found out she was going to be beyond angry. Especially considering that it would be without the consent of the Leaf Village, and could very well get him in trouble. He didn't want to bring down the group he was rallying, but he would need help if he wanted to find his daughter and the unknown location of the Akatsuki base. If they refused, however, he would just have to go alone.

For his daughter.

**Sakura Haruno**

Pein stared at me from across his desk, his eyes completely attentive as I re-told my whole story of my kidnapping. I told him every detail. A few things I would have rather left out, but underneath the gaze of those eyes I couldn't tell a single lie or leave out a single detail. My story came together like a puzzle. I could see his eyes flicker every time the story touched a sensitive subject, but through the support of his gaze I was able to get through each part. We talked about it for what seemed like hours, when I finally finished.

"And, now I'm here," I said, and a smile touched my sore cheeks. I had been smiling so much lately, my face wasn't used to it.

His lips quirked into a small smirk, and he nodded. He slowly stretched back in chair, before something suddenly seemed to hit him. He reached for a drawer in his desk, and began to rummage around through it with his eyes narrowed slightly. I watched him, confused, as he dug around through several drawers before he found what he was looking for, a satisfied look ghosting across his face. He hid the item in his palm, and looked back up at me.

"There is something we wish to present to you, Sakura," Pein said, and my spine quivered slightly.

He flared his chakra slightly, summoning the rest of the Akatsuki to his call. I looked around as the Akatsuki members appeared, one by one. The last was Hidan, and had a smear of blood across his cheek and a long cut across his chest. I decided to not question the sailor-mouthed Jashinist, seeing as his religion was rather odd and completely off to me.

Pein motioned for me to stand with him, and I did so. I pushed my chair in and backed away from it slightly, watching as Pein walked around the desk and to the front of me. My eyes twitched to his right hand, which was clenching the item he had dug around so furiously for earlier. He brought his hand up, and my eyes followed. My eyes twitched back to his, and my heart fluttered slightly when I saw the look they were sending straight to my soul.

"Sakura, we would like to formally," He stopped, and glanced at the rest of the Akatsuki, all of which were cloak-less and in regular resting clothes. He cleared his throat. "Formally informally, I should say."

I laughed lightly, and a few grins stretched across the rest of the Akatsuki's faces.

Pein smirked slightly at his own little joke, before beginning again, "Sakura, we of the Akatsuki would like to formally present you with this."

He held out his hand, and uncurled his fingers. There, laying in his flat palm was a small, polished, wooden box. I tilted my head at it, and slowly reached forward. My fingers skimmed the palm of his hand as I retrieved the box, making my finger tips tingle slightly. I pulled the box closer to me, and pushed my fingernail underneath the crease.

My heart thudded in my chest, before skipping a beat. I felt a familiar tingle in my eyes, and I blinked a few times to push away the threatening tears. My lungs begged for air, and I let a ragged breath enter their captivity. It was an Akatsuki ring. The band was silver, just like theirs, but on mine the circle face was black, and there was a red kanji in the center of it.

Sasori stepped forward from the ring of men around me, and pulled the ring from its cushion. He took my left hand, and looked straight into my eyes. I stopped breathing once more, and I watched him slide the ring onto my wedding finger. It fit almost perfectly, and I suspiciously wondered if before I got kidnapped on of them measured my finger whilst I had been sleeping.

His grip on my hand slowly released, and my hand slid across his as I pulled it closer to examine it.

If there was one thing I loved more about the ring than the fact that it tied me to the Akatsuki, was that it was made for my ring finger. I remember reading once in a book about why couples that married placed their rings on those fingers. It was said that there was a vein in that finger that leads to the heart, symbolizing their deep love for one another. For me, it was sentimental because the Akatsuki were already a big part of my heart. It felt right to have the ring on that finger.

I looked up, and tried to push away the quiver in my body.

Kisame grinned at me, his sharp teeth shining against the dim room lighting, "You're officially one of us now, Kitten."

"Not that she wasn't before, yeah," Deidara commented with a roll of his eyes, crossing his arms over his fishnet shirt.

**Konohagakure**

"Will you help me?"

There was a short moment of silence, and for a moment Jiraiya thought that he would be completely alone on this mission. It didn't both him much, he didn't expect anything out of the group he had chosen. What he was going to do could invoke punishment from Konohagakure, and the group knew that. Especially since Tsunade would be strictly against his choice and personal mission, which he had made sure to tell them. They knew exactly what they would be getting into if they joined him.

"I'm going with you, Pervy Sage!" Naruto shouted, pumping his fist, "We'll get Sakura-chan back!"

"If I may ask," Kakashi inquired, tilting his head up slightly, "Why do you want to go against Tsunade's orders and her deal with the Akatsuki to get the girl back?"

Jiraiya paused for a moment. _'I best tell them, at least so that they know that this isn't pointless.'_ Mentally, he nodded to himself, and he looked around to survey the group. He met the eyes of the old Sasuke-retrieval team, this time with the addition of Sasuke himself, Kakashi, and Yamato. He picked the old Sasuke-retrieval group because he knew that they were the most reckless, even the Nara and the Hyuuga. They could be easily swayed if one produced the right story. He didn't want to say that he was manipulating them, but deep inside he knew that he was. However, they were smarter now. He knew that it would take a lot to sway them into going behind the Hokage's back.

They were waiting for his answer, he knew.

"Sakura, is Tsunade and my daughter," Jiraiya finally admitted, and there was a silence.

"What?" Naruto, Kiba, and Lee burst, their eyes going wide.

Kakashi looked at him, his single eye betraying his shock, "How is that possible?"

Jiraiya let out a perverted chuckle "Well, I'm sure you know_ how_ it happened. But, I'm sure you're wondering how she got to the other world when she little? Tsunade and I sent her there."

"Why would you do that?" Shikamaru inquired.

Jiraiya held up a hand, signaling that they needed to stay silent for his story. "It isn't an uncommon thing for Team mates to fall for one another, though it is slightly uncommon for both male teammates to fall for the single girl of the Team. However, this was the case. Orochimaru and I had both developed feelings for Tsunade, but at that time she had found Dan. We squashed our feelings, because we could see how happy he made her. Then, Dan died. When Tsunade was grieving over the loss of Dan, I got to her before Orochimaru did. I comforted her, and slowly she fell for my amazing charm."

The group gave him a blank look, and he deflating slightly. "Okay, so it took her quite a long time to fall for me and she almost killed me when I kissed her the first time. Well, after we actually started our relationship, Orochimaru left the village for his power around that time. He had tried to sway Tsunade into going with him, but she refused. So, he left, quite bitter and angry. But, his lust for power soon over shadowed that. A few years later, Tsunade found out that she was pregnant."

Naruto made a gaging noise, causing Chouji and Kiba to snicker.

Jiraiya gave his student an unamused look, but continued his story. "She had a beautiful baby girl with white hair and caramel eyes. We named her Sakura because the sakura trees outside Tsunade's hospital room had just recently bloomed, and it seemed to fit. We both took care of her as she grew, but around the time that she was six, Orochimaru showed up.

"He showed an intense interest in the fact that my power and Tsunade's were both blessed into our daughter, also a lot of disgust that she was our combined genes. He tried to take her, but we fought him off. We realized then how unsafe it was for our daughter to grow in this world, when she would have to be looking over her shoulder constantly to make sure that Orochimaru wasn't lurking. So, we consulted with a few people, and had her sent away to a separate world after we erased her memories."

"You said that she had your hair and Tsunade's eyes, but why does she look different now?" Yamato questioned.

Jiraiya sighed slightly. "An irreversible appearance jutsu. We used it as a precaution to make sure that Orochimaru wouldn't recognize her looks if he ever managed to get ahold of her."

"Well, this is all the more reason to go!" Naruto shouted, "I'll help you get your daughter, Pervy Sage!"

"I'll help, but the consequences are going to be troublesome," Shikamaru sighed, running his ran through his spiky ponytail.

"I cannot go, I have other duties to attend to. However, I wish you all luck, and I will not speak of this meeting to anyone," Neji said, and closed his pearl colored eyes solemnly, turning away from the group and walking from the gates.

"I'm totally going. These Akatsuki guys don't know who they're messing with!" Kiba shouted, pumping his fist excitedly.

Naruto cheered in agreement, and Jiraiya shook his head. "We're not going there to fight him, I need your help to track them. I want to explain to my daughter who she is, and get her to a safer place before Orochimaru finds her, again. The Akatsuki may care about her, but that doesn't mean that they'll be able to watch over her with Orochimaru around. If he got her once under their care I have no doubt that he could do it again."

"I will remain here in the village. Going behind the Hokage's back doesn't settle well with me," Yamato said, stepping away from the group, "But I'll keep my mouth shout. Good luck finding your daughter, Jiraiya-sama."

The smaller group watched him walk away, before Jiraiya spoke again. "Is any one else going to leave?"

There was a silence, before Lee burst forward. "I think we all know that it is best to rightfully retrieve our beloved Sakura-blossom! We will find the Akatsuki base and demand they return Konoha's Blossom!"

Sasuke looked up, a small smirk on his lips. "What's there to find, when I've already been there? It'll be easy to find, considering I still remember where it is."

Naruto and Lee let out a small cheer.

Sasuke felt no guilt about this. This wasn't out of hatred for his brother, no. That had settled, quite uncomfortably, but still settled. But now, things were a bit of a sibling rivalry. His older brother wasn't the only one interesting in the pink haired girl. He could tell, back when he and his brother were talking about the exchange with the Akatsuki leader, that his older brother, seemingly along with the rest of the Akatsuki, had feelings for the pink haired girl. Maybe a little sibling rivaly could help him feel less uncomfortable with the truth of his brother, by replacing it with some triumph by one-upping his brother.

"Alright," Jiraiya nodded, "Meet back here in three hours."

The group nodded and disappeared, leaving a haze of white smoke in their place.

What they failed to notice before they disappeared, however, was a small white snake coiled in the dark branches of a tree, a few feet away from where they had been standing.

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><p><strong>Piper: Here you go guys! I hope you liked it!<strong>

**Please review!**


	22. Threat

**Piper: Hi guys. I know you probably reeeaaalllly hate me for not updating, but I've been so dicouraged with this story and I had been focusing on my story Price of Strength, but I think I'm probably gunna take that story down. I seem to have upset a lot of reviewers with a choice I made with MY own story, and I'm not going to keep writing for them if all I'm going to get is complaints about my plot every time I update. So I wanted to try my hand at this story again.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p><span>Chapter 22 - Threat<span>

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><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

Being back home where I belong was a good feeling, but it was also a lot of work. I was back to normal health once more, under the care of Konoha and then the Akatsuki once I had come back. However, after being home for close to a week and making up lost time with the Akatsuki it was time to start training again. I working with all the Akatsuki members once more with my training, and I was happy to seem improvements once more. I worked the most with my aiming, speed, sword skills, and my jutsu. I was absolutely thrilled to learn more jutsu from the Akatsuki, until Pein decided to work further with me.

"It's time we start working on your element," Pein said, circling me carefully around the training field.

My heart rate instantly picked up as my fear of lightning kicked in. I almost felt like running away from the orange haired man, but I knew that I could trust him. He wouldn't let me get hurt, even by my own hand. I knew that if I ever failed, the Akatsuki would have my back. I believed in them now, like I should've in the beginning. However, no amount of trust or hope could deter me from my life-long fear and I was still very hesitant to go along with what Pein had been saying.

"I had a scroll here with a lightning jutsu," Pein said raising the scroll clutched in his hand. "I want you to take it and begin to master it."

I blinked slowly. "Alone?"

He nodded. "Alone."

Fear settled into the pit of my stomach, icing it over with a creepy chill. I felt my whole body shake as I reached forward to take the scroll from Pein. I was hesitant, almost as if I expected the scroll to suddenly come to life and take a snap at my fingers with crackling, lightning teeth. I was a bit calmer once the aged scroll was settled into my palm, but I could still see my hand shaking back and forth. I opened it slowly, examining its contents and feeling my stomach fill with an uncomfortable pressure.

"You can do this, Sakura," Pein said slowly, standing over me and observing my reactions as I read over the scroll.

I looked up, surprised to see him standing so close to me. He was close that I could feel his body heat and the over-whelming size of his unleashed chakra. He seemed to realize that his power was smothering my own chakra a bit, and he buried a bit of his away, allowing my own chakra to expand a bit more comfortably.

Pein raised his hand, and I watched it carefully. I was a bit more nervous with sudden actions after my time in Orochimaru's presence. Especially after my long torture sessions with Kabuto. However, Pein kept his hand motions slow as he reached forward and trailed a finger across my cheek. My stomach was empty of all pressure, and was instead fluttering as though filled with a million butterflies.

He brushed back a piece of my messy hair, which was no doubt wild after the long training session we had before Pein had presented me with the scroll. I felt my face heat up, and my stomach was so twitchy and light that I would've believed that I was sick if I hadn't felt the feeling a handful of times before.

Pein seemed to contemplate something, before leaning down and pressing his lips to my forehead. I blinked a few times, confused and flustered. Then, suddenly, he was gone and I was left in the training grounds with only a scroll as my company. I was heavy with confusion, and I slowly settled myself onto the ground below. I unrolled the scroll, not know if I would be able to concentrate after seeing Pein's new attitude.

**No Point of View**

Pein settled himself onto his chair, refusing to admit that he felt a little bit flustered. He wasn't shy, no, never, but he didn't know how the little blossom would react if he suddenly started pushing his affections at her. Because he knew that once he started making his move, it would alert the others to his intentions and they, too, would begin to pursue the pinkette's attention. He didn't think she was quite ready for a pressure like that, not after what she had just gone through.

He would have to control himself for a little while longer. However, if another member chose to start the race then he would eagerly participate. He wouldn't allow himself to lose, oh no. But, he also had to take her preferences to heart. Some of the members wouldn't. They would force themselves at her relentlessly. They wouldn't do anything rash, or at least he hoped. But he knew that whoever she chose would be who she chose, and they would have to settle with it.

No matter who she chose in the end, he knew that he would still stand by her side. He wouldn't let another man get in the way of the friendship he held with her, even if the romantically relationship he wanted wouldn't happen. Pein wasn't a sore loser.

"I see that you're beginning to break, Pein," A silky voice came from the shadows, making the ginger scowl.

The older-than-dirt-Uchiha never left him alone. He could hardly get any peace around with Madara snooping all over the place.

"What do you want, Madara?" Pein asked in an irritated tone, beginning to shuffle and look through papers on his cluttered desk.

"Sakura," the silky voice purred, making Pein stop everything he was doing.

Pein looked up, his eyes narrowed. It wasn't particularly safe for Sakura if Madara was in this "game". Madara was very sneaky, and his methods of playing the game could get her or others injured. Knowing the old Uchiha, he wouldn't play one hundred percent fairly, which means that all of the others would have to resort to tricks. The others didn't know that Tobi was Madara, but Sakura did. Madara had told him once that by the way the girl had acted around the masked nin that her knowledge of their world had allowed her to know that Tobi was Madara. So, he was free to be himself around the girl, which was a dangerous thought itself.

"Don't you dare hurt her, Madara," the ringed-eyed man growled threateningly, glaring at the foggy shadow in the corner of his office.

The old man clicked his tongue, and Pein could practically _feel_ the smirk on the Uchiha's face. He was oozing so much arrogance and superiority that it was almost too suffocating to breathe without catching his ego.

Pein knew that his outward display of protective nature towards the girl hadn't helped his cause. It had probably made the game only that much more interesting for Madara.

"Now, now, Pein. I would never do anything to permanently damage something that belongs to me. Now, play with? That, I would do." The man's shadowy figure left with a fit of haunting chuckles that sent dangerous prickles running down the back of Pein's neck.

Pein stared at the spot that the man had been standing, hoping that he hadn't convinced Madara to start something that Sakura wasn't ready for.

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><p>It was dark, the only glow from a faint candle sitting on its hold across the room. There was a soft sound of rain coming from above on the surface, but the room was too deep under for the rain to be heard at it's full potential. The room smelled of death and the earth it was carved into. It was slightly damp, and the stones were covered with moss from the constant wet.<p>

In the dark room sat a pale man, who hid himself further into the shadows. He didn't want contact with anyone, not even his most loyal servant. His newest body had just walked out of his service, right under his nose. Of course, the body still carried the curse mark and the man could pain him from afar, but the boy had just slipped out of his grasp. He needed the boy around him to complete training him for when he took the boys body. But, he was gone. He had ran back to Konoha.

Orochimaru let out a loud growl, smashing his fist into the wall angrily. It dented on impact, pieces of the old stone crumbling and rolling away. He was much to angry to care. He would bring the whole base down if he wanted to, which he felt like doing. He felt like brining the whole building down and slaughtering all the people in it, even if they were his own men.

All of his plans were beginning to crumble, and now he was no where near where he needed to be at that point in time. He needed to start strategizing more, instead of moping. However, he didn't know where to begin. He would need to start from scratch, and that would take so much more time to do.

As sat there, his head cradled in his hands, a small, white snake slithered into the room. It weaved through the pieces of crumbled wall that had spilled across the floor at a quickened pace and up the man's chair. It slithered up to his arm rest and into his loose sleeve, causing Orochimaru to lift his eyes from his palm. The snake began to crawl up his arm once it had settled into his sleeve. He watched its small body writhe up, its body bulging the material of his shirt sleeve. He was slightly amused by the small spy-snake that seemed so eager to speak to him. It determinedly slid up his shoulder and finally to his neck, which it coiled around to steady itself.

The snake raised on its coils, slipping underneath the curtain of his dark hair. He tilted his head, listening as the small one repeated the words it had heard. His eyes widened, the golden color of his eyes darkening as his snake-like pupil quivered. His lips began to quirk at the corners, before stretching out. The more he heard, the larger his grin got. Soon, the cheshire grin wasn't enough, and his shoulders began to quake as laughter began to stream through his lips, pure elation dancing on his sinister face.

**Sakura Haruno**

I had moved from the training room and into the base, settling myself onto the couch inside the living room. I was alone, the others either on missions or scattered throughout other positions of the base. I took solace in the quiet, and studied the scroll. I decided that I would work on reading and familiarizing myself with the hand signs and chakra positions that night, and then start practicing the next day. That way, I didn't over work myself and I got to put off facing my fear a little while longer.

I slaved over the scroll, absent mindedly pressing my hands into hand signs without feeling, adding no chakra so that I could just continue to go over the hand signs. I was submersed in my learning, that I couldn't hear the door open. Feet, light and silent like feathers, stepped across the room and behind the couch. I hadn't noticed until their shadow breached the over head light, casting darkness over my scroll.

My shoulders tensed, and I jumped out of my skin. I turned quickly, and found myself staring into the swirled, orange mask of Tobi. I blinked up at him, waiting for the familiarly cheerful, childish greeting he usually yelled at me before tackling me. However, something was different. The man stayed quiet, and instantly I knew that I wasn't dealing with Tobi. I was dealing with Madara, who seemed ready to speak with me outside of his persona.

He reached a gloved hand forward, running it through my choppy, pink locks. I blinked a couple of times, confused yet terrified. I knew what Madara was capable of, and I had been so careful around him at the beginning but had allowed myself to become comfortable with the Tobi facade that he put on. I didn't know if I could trust Madara like I had Tobi, even though they were one in the same. Tobi was innocent and trustworthy, while Madara was dangerous and unpredictable.

"Madara," I said lowly, but his fingers continued to run through my hair.

The single eye hole of his mask was dark, but seconds after speaking his name I saw sharingan light up within the shadows of it. The comas spun around lazily. I averted my gaze from them, just as a precaution. I heard him chuckle, deep and as smooth as silk, from behind his mask. His fingers trailed through the ends of my bangs, lightly brushing against the side of my face. When he got to the bottom of my face he curled his finger around my chin, tilting my head up a bit more.

"Come with me, please, Sakura-chan?" He spoke, his tone a bit teasing as he used his Tobi nickname for me.

I swallowed thickly, and rose from the couch. I slipped on my sandals, which had been laying discarded on the floor in front of me. Madara watched as I did so, and I felt the pressure of his gaze beating down on me. I turned, and so did he. He ghost out of the room, his cloak billowing gently behind him. I swallowed a deep breath and followed behind him closely, not wanting to anger such a powerful man.

He trailed through the base, knowing his path easily. I was still finding myself a bit clueless to the endless halls of the base, but I was getting much better upon my return. However, I was hardly concerned with getting lost at that moment. I was more or less terrified of what Madara was leading me to and why he was leading me there in the first place.

I took in a breath through my nose, finding comfort in the familiar smell of the base. Having a base in the land of rain left the smell crisp and fresh, like a fresh wind carrying along the loving rain. It was so homely that it helped me find and inner peace, able to detach myself from the current situation for just a few more seconds. I could feel myself relaxing more and more, just keeping a lazy gaze on the back of Madara's cloak as he led me and let my feet take lead.

Soon, however, panic erupted when I found that we were at one of the entrances to the base. There were quiet a few different ones, but I was familiar with this one because it led to the back of the base where the training grounds were kept. Madara opened the door and held it, motions for me to go out before him. I brushed past him, my shoulder rubbing lightly against his chest as I passed. I shuddered at the unintended contact, but waited for him to exit and lock the door before he knelt down.

"Get on my back," He ordered smoothly, looking up at me from his position on the ground.

"I can walk-" My protest died when I saw his sharingan spin in a more threatening manner, and I quickly settled myself onto his back. My legs looped around his waist and his hands gripped the backs of my thighs. I was blushing brightly, and was happy that he couldn't see my face as he ran to the edge of the training grounds and jumped into the trees. We had a protective barrier about a mile into the forest, and once we reached it Madara passed through easily, the usually invisible shield rippling with a white-filmy color as we passed through.

I was terrified now, seeing that we were truly out of Akatsuki territory now. I kept my arms around his neck, trying to calm myself so that I didn't go into a complete fit of terror. I was reliving flashes of my stay in Orochimaru's base, and I could a sickness touch the back of my throat. I didn't know if Madara was trustworthy, but that fact that I was receiving no information on our traveling location made me feel like I was in the clutches of something horrible.

The further we got from the base, the louder my heart beat. I was truly terrified for the first time since I had gotten back to the Akatsuki.

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><p><strong>Piper: I hope this is satisfactory for you guys! I apoligize once again for the wait. I'm going to try my hardest to start updating this story again. Thank you for your support.<strong>

**Please review!**


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